Bursts of Light
by Wolfie-Dragon
Summary: All kinds of short drabbles in the Blind!Hiccup universe, based on 30 prompts. Hiccstrid focused. Snapshots from every stage of their relationship, from first dates to having children to growing old together. Prompts inside. These can be read without having read my other stories in the Blind Spots universe, just keep in mind Hiccup is blind.
1. Holding Hands

**Hello everyone, welcome to my Nanowrimo 2018 project! I recently finished Blind Spots, and I'm a little done writing more big stories in this universe, but there were a lot of little tales and headcanons I never could find the room to explore in Blind Spots. So in this we explore those, based on 30 drabbles. I'll post one every day. The prompts are as follows:**

 **01 - Holding hands**  
 **02 - Cuddling somewhere**  
 **03 - Gaming/watching a movie**  
 **04 - On a date**  
 **05 – Kissing**  
 **06 - Wearing eachothers' clothes**  
 **07 – Cosplaying**  
 **08 – Shopping**  
 **09 - Hanging out with friends**  
 **10 - With animal ears**  
 **11 - Wearing kigurumis**  
 **12 - Making out**  
 **13 - Eating icecream**  
 **14 – Genderswapped**  
 **15 - In a different clothing style**  
 **16 - During their morning ritual(s)**  
 **17 – Spooning**  
 **18 - Doing something together**  
 **19 - In formal wear**  
 **20 – Dancing**  
 **21 – Cooking/baking**  
 **22 - In battle, side-by-side**  
 **23 – Arguing**  
 **24 - Making up afterwards**  
 **25 - Gazing into eachothers' eyes**  
 **26 - Getting married**  
 **27 - On one of their birthdays  
28 - Doing something ridiculous  
29 - Doing something sweet  
30 - Doing something hot **

**Here we have the first one, Holding Hands! I hope you like it! Please leave a review, concrit is very welcome!**

* * *

"OWWWWW" Hiccup groaned as Gothi rubbed more salve into his burns. The old woman wasn't bothering to be gentle.

"I think she wants to tell you that if you didn't want this pain, you shouldn't have stuck your hand into a pile of hot coals," Gobber said, and Hiccup resisted to urge to curl his other hand into a rude gesture at the man.

"I didn't mean to. I couldn't see them. Why did you move that furnace anyway? It was supposed to be against the wall," Hiccup slowly said, trying to control his frustration. It had been a nice happy day. He was working in the forge, Astrid assisting him, when Gobber had rushed through 'to grab something real quick'. Apparently that involved moving the coal oven Hiccup had been using, so when he tried to grab a hammer, his hand went straight into the burning coal instead.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize. I thought Astrid would warn ya," Gobber said sheepishly.

"Well, she didn't notice, and then that hammer fell on _her_ hand when she tried to help me," Hiccup said flatly, trying not to worry too much about her. She was strong, she had overcome way worse injuries than this. But still… she and Vali had been in the other room for a long time.

"Okay, it's slightly my fault. How about I make it up to you and not let you work for the next two weeks?" Gobber said. It didn't cool Hiccup's anger.

"Oh, you mean the exact amount of time I can't use my right hand?" he remarked sarcastically as Gothi finished bandaging said hand.

"Uhhhh… okay, a full month then. You can just use the forge for whatever you want, or go out with Astrid, or whatever you want to do," Gobber conceded, and Hiccup was about to accept when the door opened and Astrid walked through.

"Hey love. How bad is it?" Hiccup asked as he jumped up and awkwardly walked in her direction.

"I can't use my left hand for a while. It's not broken exactly, thankfully, but I can't move it for a couple weeks. See, it's in a cast," she said as Hiccup moved to feel it gently. He could hear she was trying to stay strong and fearless, but that she was far from okay.

"Hmm, we match. I can't use my right hand for two weeks. Not quite in a cast, but I'm not allowed to do anything with it either," he said, running his left hand over her cast. "At least we both lost our non-dominant hand."

Astrid chuckled despite her obvious pain. They stood there for a second, just _there_ for each other without having to say a word.

"Well then. Time for you to head on home and rest and forget this ever happened!" Gobber said awkwardly, shattering their moment, and with a sigh they followed him outside.

"Wanna hang out at my house for a bit? Stormfly is acting weird, maybe you can figure out what's wrong," Astrid asked, and he smiled.

"Sure!" he said, and lifted his right hand automatically to search for her left. It was only when bandage met cast that he remembered.

Holding hands had become a completely automatic action for them. Her left hand in his right. It was a way to be close and connected when they couldn't see each other's faces. She could guide him gently as he walked, and they could exchange messages and emotions through their linked hands.

And no one on Berk would think much of it beyond calling them lovebirds.

"Oh, uh… This is kinda weird," Hiccup said, quickly retracting his hand.

"Yeah, it's, uhm… maybe we should switch positions? So we can hold hands that aren't injured?" Astrid said, and they awkwardly moved past each other so his left hand was now next to her right. Hiccup tried to grab her, but it didn't feel as intuitive and _right_.

They started walking down the many steps of Gothi's house, talking about how Gobber should have been more careful.

Their linked hands were in the back of Hiccup's mind the entire time. It was weird, they fit together, but it still felt wrong. He tried to write a symbol on the back of her hand, but his finger was unsure how.

"I'm sorry, this is just… I don't think this'll work," he said as they reached the bottom of the stairs, releasing her hand.

"Yeah, you're right. It's like everything is the wrong way around. And what if we learn everything this way now, and then when our hands heal the old way will feel wrong!" Astrid said, laughing nervously.

"It's okay. Maybe this is something we can try. See if I can walk with you without you guiding me. If we can… communicate, you know?" he said softly, and she suddenly ran her fingers up his cheek.

"I like that idea. Just let me know if something is wrong, okay?" Astrid said before kissing him gently. Hiccup nodded as she stepped back again, chuckling awkwardly.

"I will. Now let's cheer up Stormfly!" he said, before walking towards where he thought Astrid's house was. She nudged his shoulder a bit and he rotated along, and they walked the rest of the way together yet on their own, talking happily all the while.


	2. Cuddling

Astrid had long since accepted that Dark Days would simply be a part of her relationship with Hiccup. Their frequency varied, but every now and then everything was just a little too much for him. She sometimes wondered if he needed other outlets, if these were signs that he couldn't express his emotions enough when they weren't alone. But there was little she could do about that, especially when they weren't married yet and he wasn't chief. People expected a strong leader.

So it was her secret job to make sure they never knew about Hiccup's dark days, that they could pretend he was always as cheerful and joking and energetic as he appeared in public.

It wasn't always easy. Hiccup's mood swings were unpredictable at best, and came with little warning. So often she scrambled to find a private place when she saw the signs.

Like today. They had been teaching some children about taking care of their dragons, when one of the nastier boys started questioning Hiccup's methods. "How can he know if the dragons are happy, he can't see!"

In retrospect it was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Hiccup had quite a bad day already. Nightmares, Stoick being difficult about chiefing lessons, Toothless being moody about his morning flight being delayed. The dragon had avoided Hiccup for a while now, instead running into the woods with Stormfly.

Hiccup merely smiled at the arrogant boy and told him there were other ways he could tell the dragons' mood. Sounds, movement, even smell in certain cases. But she could tell the remarks weighed on him, especially when the boy remained unconvinced and rebellious for the rest of the lesson, constantly muttering under his breath about Hiccup's blindness and 'uselessness'.

When Astrid noticed Hiccup's hands were shaking slightly, and saw his back hunch, she knew what was coming. So she cut the lesson short at lunchtime and took Hiccup's hands to drag him to the storerooms in the back of the arena. One of the girls oohed at their interlocked hands, and some of the boys started joking about them going off to snog.

Astrid rolled her eyes, but didn't argue with them. It was easier to pretend they were making out, that it was just dumb hormonal young love driving them to find privacy.

The thought almost made her chuckle despite her worry for Hiccup. She wished it was that easy. It wasn't like they didn't sneak off all the time to make out, but it never felt enough. This was a different kind of physical closeness, she thought when Hiccup pulled her tight to him in the darkness at the back of a storeroom. Astrid let him, whispering words of love into his ear and rubbing his back gently.

"Don't go," he mumbled, and she shook her head.

"I'll never let you go. I promise," she replied, pulling them along a bit so they could sit on a nearby crate. Hiccup buried his face in her neck, shoulders shaking with his sobs. Astrid tried not to sigh audibly. It was so hard sometimes to see Hiccup like this. If only there was some way she could help. Some kind of medicine or treatment that would fix his dark mind. Maybe somewhere across the sea there existed something like that, but if it did, word of it never reached Berk.

It took a while, but eventually Hiccup calmed down. He didn't release her, however, content to sit next to her, his arms around her shoulders.

"Is this okay? If we sit like this for a while?" he softly asked with trembling voice. Astrid replied by pulling him a little closer to her. She had noticed that Hiccup was an incredibly tactile person, always trying to touch some part of her. Not even in an inappropriate way, though Astrid knew he had reactions to their closeness sometimes, but just to remind himself she was there, she was close, she wasn't gonna leave.

Sometimes she wondered if his desire to touch was because of his blindness, or just because that was the person he was. He also cuddled with Toothless, sleeping in the dragon's embrace or pushing himself against the warm belly while writing. The dragon seemed to like it too, warbling happily and licking Hiccup's hair.

Astrid didn't really think of herself as a cuddler, she didn't really actively _crave_ Hiccup's arms around her all the time, but it was… nice. There were certainly worse places to be, and he was surprisingly soft and warm. It was strangely quiet and calm. Normally Hiccup was so active, always moving and talking and thinking and doing. But the moment they embraced each other he just slowed down and rested.

Yeah, that's the nicest thing about these cuddles, Astrid thought. Looking at his face, seeing all that stress and anxiety flow away for a bit. She could protect him for a while, make sure he didn't have to worry about anything. It made her feel strong, and it warmed her heart to know, to _see_ with her own eyes that Hiccup thought she is strong too.

Hiccup's breath slowed and slowed, from the rapid breathing of his panic attack to a slumber. It took Astrid a minute to realize he had fallen asleep in her arms, his head on her shoulder. It was often hard to tell if he was asleep, since the blindfold covered his eyes, but she recognized that soft humming he always did when he slept. Sometimes he talked, mumbling nonsense words or ridiculous conversations. It always made her smile.

"You're the worst brother ever!" Ruffnut's shout broke their little bubble. Astrid jumped a bit, and Hiccup woke with a gasp. His head flew up, hitting her jaw, and they both groaned. Hiccup blushed when he realized their positions, but didn't quite let go of her.

"Sorry I fell asleep on you," he said awkwardly as they stood up together. His voice was barely audible over the twins' argument outside.

"It's okay. I think you needed that nap," Astrid teased, and they finally disentangled their arms. Hiccup looked ten times healthier than he had that morning, and Astrid was sure he could face another day.

And if he couldn't? Well, she'd just have to cuddle him until his strength returned.


	3. Gaming

Astrid looked at the table with furrowed brow. She had to plan the attack, make sure the enemy chief dies. Nothing else matters. But still, maybe she should try to kill the enemies nearby first.

Hiccup sat opposite her. Astrid knew his mind was on the escaping chief too. He did that thing with his fingers where he rubbed them together when he was deep in thought. It was kinda cute, but she couldn't afford to be distracted by him now. She had to focus on winning this battle. She had the numbers on her side.

Hesitating slightly, Astrid moved one of her pieces two tiles, trapping an enemy guarding the chief and taking him off the board.

"Another one of your guys dies. That chief is looking quite lonely now," she said smugly as Hiccup felt the board to see what move she made. His frow burrowed for a second, but then his lips curled into a smile.

Astrid didn't like that smile. Her fears were confirmed when he moved one of his pieces, the one she had thought inconsequential, all the way across the board, across where her piece just was, right into her attacking army. Three of her soldiers were in the thick of it, surrounded by enemies, and with this guy charging them from behind they were all trapped. Her fists clenched when Hiccup hummed happily as he took them off the board.

"That... That's not fair! How did you…" she stuttered as she looked at her broken line. In a single moment an area of the board she had a clear advantage in had been swept clean of her forces, leaving an obvious escape route for Hiccup's chief.

"Hey, your fault for leaving them like this. Your little attack opened the route for my piece to charge in like that," Hiccup said calmly, with this infuriating hint of smugness. Astrid hated that smugness, hated that he thought he was better at this game than she was.

Okay, he definitely was better at it. But that didn't mean she had to like it. She was a warrior, she could defeat a dozen men on her own. Her parents had also taught her everything they knew about strategy. She should be wiping the floor with anyone in a game about warfare.

But instead Hiccup was clearly on his way to winning his fifth game in a row.

Astrid wasn't going to surrender, though. She still had a lot of pieces left. The game of Hnefatafl had an attacking side and a defending side. She was the attacker, which means she starts with twice as many troops. However, Hiccup just had to get his chief to a corner of the board. She had to trap that annoying little piece, which was harder than it seemed. Hiccup had a talent for anticipating her every move and leaving little escape routes for himself no matter what she did.

She took a minute to survey the board, trying to figure out what Hiccup's next move would be. He could get his chief through the remains of her one army, but she still had a lot of troops near the edge of the board on that side. What if it was a distraction? But wait, what if that was what he wanted her to think? Was she meant to notice the distraction, thus falling into his trap? Sighing, she eventually decided to move a piece near the center, giving it more freedom of movement to react to whatever Hiccup would do.

Her boyfriend ran his hands over the board, feeling the location of every piece. The game set had been carved by Stoick in his spare time, as a Snoggletog gift for Hiccup. Trader Johann had introduced the game to Berk a few months ago, and it quickly became a popular way of settling disputes and passing time.

Hiccup was especially entranced by it, but he had difficulty participating. With his blindness he couldn't see the board like others could. Instead he had to feel for the location of all the pieces, which was difficult when black and white pieces had the same shape, and the only way to differentiate the tiles was to see their color. People quickly got annoyed playing with him, as he constantly had to ask what a particular piece was, and if it was in the same row as another piece.

Astrid had tried to be supportive, had offered to explain the game's state to him, but then Stoick had given him this hand-carved set. It had grooves in the board to differentiate tiles, the white pieces were round while the black pieces were square, and each piece had a little peg underneath that fit into holes in the board. This way Hiccup could easily feel the pieces without having to worry about moving them accidentally.

At first Astrid was happy for Hiccup, as the game clearly allowed him to use that overactive brain of his.

Until she started playing against him and he trounced her. HER! Berk's reigning champion of hnefatafl! How _dare_ he!

Hiccup didn't have to think very long after figuring out her move, and he moved his chief… further to the center. Why? He had to get it to the edge! She didn't understand this move at all. Maybe that was part of his strategy!

"Stop doing dumb moves! Are you trying to confuse me?" she muttered, moving one of her pieces to follow the chief.

"Maybe, maybe not. What kind of general would I be if I explained all my strategies?" he asked. Before she could answer, that smirk appeared again. His hand flew forward, moving a piece on a completely different part of the board and killing another two of her men.

Oh no.

"You… You!" rage and shame fought over dominance of her mind as she desperately moved her pieces for dominance of the board. It was no use. Two turns later his chief was on a clear escape route, Hiccup's troops blocking hers from intervening. She cut down some of them, but in this game only that dang chief mattered.

"So, want another round? You can be defender this time," Hiccup said cheerfully, moving his chief off the board, and placing it back in the middle where he started.

"No. I'm done playing against you. You can't even see the board and yet you can just… see so much more than I can," she said, trying not to sound too much like a sore loser.

"Aww, is somebody upset?" Hiccup teased her, but he did pack up the pieces instead of setting them up for another round.

"No," she muttered, knowing it sounded insincere. Hell, it was insincere. She really, really wanted to be happy for Hiccup. She was happy for him. But still… She was a little jealous of that damn brain of his.

"Wanna do something else? How about we go for a flight. I know Toothless and Stormfly are bored with this!" he offered, pointing at the two dragons sleeping in the corner of the room. Toothless opened an eye lazily when his name was mentioned, and the word 'flight' seemed to interest him. Damn dragon was just like his rider, too smart for his own good.

"Fine. Let's do a race around the island. I'll show you who's the best at that!" Astrid laughed, jumping up and calling for Stormfly to join her. The Nadder chirped happily as she woke from her beauty sleep, eager to stretch her wings.

"Wait, no fair! I have to put my prosthetic on first!" Hiccup shouted as she ran out the door, but she just giggled.

"Oh Hiccup, haven't you learned yet? All's fair in love and war. And as much as I love you, this is definitely war," Astrid shouted back through the door, before jumping on Stormfly and flying off, Hiccup's curses following her.

As they flew over Berk towards Raven Point, Astrid smiled. Maybe it was unfair, but Hiccup had a faster dragon. He'd catch up. Sure enough, by the time she had passed Mildew's farm he was visible behind her. Still, this time she'd evade his attacks. This was one chief he wouldn't capture, no matter how smart he was.


	4. On a Date

Hiccup hesitated when he stood in front of Astrid's front door. She had said yes. She had accepted. As far as he could understand they were boyfriend and girlfriend (though honestly he couldn't possibly understand why she chose him).

But it still didn't feel right or proper to be knocking on her door so they could go the the Thrimilci festival together. This wasn't just them hanging out together, working in the forge or training dragons. This was a date. Thrimilci was the feast of fertility and growth, celebrated when winter turned to spring and everything in nature sprang anew in the warm sun. It was a feast of celebrating the seeds they'd plant, the newborn calves and chicks they'd raise. And above all, it was a feast of love and fertility. It was no surprise most births on Berk happened around 9 months later.

A boy and a girl going to Thrimilci together meant something. It was basically the way of saying you were together, dating, possibly even planning to marry. Hiccup was nowhere near ready to marry yet, but the other stuff was amazing.

Still, going public about it like this was a big step.

Toothless swatted his arm with his tail, clearly annoyed at his indecisiveness, and he was torn from his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door twice before digging into his pocket for the little brooch he had made earlier.

"Hello, Hiccup," Tolfdir said as he opened the door, and Hiccup wasn't sure what the man thought of him. Surely Astrid told him they were going together. Toothless ran out back, eager to greet Stormfly.

"Hello Mr. Hofferson, how are you doing? Lovely day, isn't it? Good fertile season ahead! Great for planting!" Hiccup blurted out, already regretting everything in his life that had let up to this moment.

"Right… I'm sure it will be," Astrid's father said, but he didn't seem to move out of the way.

"Oh Tolf, let the boy in already. Stop doing your stoic father routine, it's cruel," Kirsten said, apparently pushing her husband aside and grabbing Hiccup's arm, pulling him into the house. He barely avoided tripping over the threshold.

"Astrid, there's a handsome boy here to see you!" she called out, and Hiccup tried to smile, though he mostly wanted to sink through the floor. His stomach was twisting and turning, sure that Astrid would take one look at his ridiculous fancy clothes and laugh.

"Coming!" Astrid called back from above, her shout soon followed by rapid footsteps on the stairs. Hiccup tried to stand up a little taller, and hoped he didn't look as sick as he felt. Suddenly she was there, in front of him. He gulped.

"Hey," he said, immediately wanting to facepalm. That was all he could say? But what else could he say? It's not like he could compliment her clothes, he couldn't see them!

"Hello there. Mother wasn't kidding, you do look very nice," Astrid said with a tingle in her voice, before grabbing his hands. Suddenly everything was okay. His stomach calmed, and Hiccup couldn't help but smile. Of course she wouldn't laugh. Why would he even think that?

"Okay then, you two have fun now! We'll be along later, just gotta finish these pies!" Kirsten said as she all but pushed them out of the house.

"Not too much fun!" Tolfdir called after them, and Hiccup was sure he turned bright red. Hopefully Astrid wouldn't see it in the light of the setting sun.

"Sorry for my parents. They can be so embarrassing," Astrid said, her voice suddenly softer, more… fragile. Hiccup nearly dropped her hand in confusion. Toothless and Stormfly ran around the house, eventually following Hiccup and Astrid.

"What? Your parents are great. I mean, I was way more embarrassed by myself, I mean, I'm like… I can't see you, and I didn't know what to say though I'm sure you look amazing and-" Astrid pulled him towards her, planting a kiss on his lips to stop his wild rambling.

"Hiccup. Relax. I chose to go out with you, didn't I? I knew what that will entail. Your blindness is part of that. I accept that. You should too," she said after she released his lips. Honestly his mind was too busy flying high on the kiss to focus too much on her words, but he knew she was right.

"I know. It's just… some days it's hard. Especially around other people," he said softly as they started walking again. In the distance they could hear the sounds of the festival. Music, talking, laughing.

"I'm with you, okay? Us against the world," Astrid said, and he tried to smile despite the sounds from the party getting louder and louder. Toothless warbled, confused by the strange lights and bright banners that had overtaken the plaza.

"So… what do you want to do first?" he asked awkwardly, not sure what the options were exactly.

"Let's eat a bit first, then we can dance!" Astrid said, already dragging him along to a fragrant corner of the plaza. It was filled with treats, the last of the winter stocks. She didn't let him ask for things herself, instead just filling his hands with pastries before leading him to a bench.

"That was fast," he said before trying one of the little pastries. A bit stale, but still really good.

"I didn't want them to start bothering you about your blindfold. I know you hate it when people draw attention to it. Besides, I know you like the berry pies. And here, Toothless, I got you one with fish!" she said as she tossed it at the dragon next to him, and Hiccup nodded. "But of course I didn't forget about you, Stormfly! Here, have a chicken tart!"

They sat for a bit, Astrid sometimes telling him about what was happening. Ruffnut and Snotlout were apparently arguing again, and Fishlegs was trying to dance on his own.

"D-Do you want to dance?" Hiccup hesitantly asked when they were both done eating. Honestly he wasn't looking forward to dancing. It had only been a month since he had woken up without his leg, and he was nowhere near used to the prosthetic yet. He could walk with it, but not much more than that.

"Can you handle it? With the… you know?" she softly asked, leaning closer to him.

"I think so. I want to… to share this with you," he said, stomach churning again. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten those pastries. But he had to do this. He wanted to do this. It was part of going on a date to Thrimilci.

"Okay then. Just tell me if you get tired, okay?" she said, standing up and taking his hand again. A moment later they were on the dance floor, swaying to a cheerful song. Hiccup felt awkward, his hands on her shoulders, but Astrid's happy laughter was so contagious he couldn't help but smile with her as the song sped up a little.

Around them other couples danced, and he could overhear snippets of their conversations. Astrid and him seemed to be a popular topic. He supposed that was to be expected, but he didn't like the disapproving tone many had.

"-That blindness, though! She can do so much better-" an older woman said as she flew right by him, and the words made him jolt. His prosthetic slipped on the smooth tile, and then he was falling. HIs hands fell off Astrid's shoulders, instinctively trying to break his fall.

He never hit the ground, though.

Astrid pulled him back to his feet with massive strength, though Hiccup knew part of it was because he was so light. Didn't make it any less embarrassing, though, and all the joy of dancing had left him. His hands clenched into fists. That woman was right, Astrid shouldn't have to-

"Hiccup. Don't listen to those idiots. You and me, okay?" she pulled his face towards her, whispering loudly. "Screw those munge-buckets. We're together and there's not a damn thing they can do about it."

She didn't waste any time, folding his fists open again and putting them back on her shoulders, before guiding him back into the dance. He could sense her head moving around quickly, presumably glaring at anyone who might dare to mock him.

"Thanks," he whispered. "I'm just sorry you have to go through all this extra trouble because of me. This should be a day of fun and joy."

Astrid skipped a step to slap him lightly on the arm.

"Don't you get it already? I am having fun. I like being with you, Hiccup. Get it through that thick skull of yours already. I thought you were clever," she said with a teasing tone, and he resisted the instinctive urge to shake his head.

"Look, I get it, okay? It's our first date. People are gonna gossip about it. I'm nervous about that too. But it's still Thrimilci, a day of careless abandon. Now stop worrying and have some damn fun too!" she exclaimed, doing a rapid dance move around him, leading him through some strange and confusing steps. For a second Hiccup thought it was a miracle he didn't fall, but then he realized Astrid wouldn't let him fall. And he couldn't let her down either. So he smiled and joined her as a new song started playing. All the people around them seemed to disappear, until they were alone in the dark room.

Maybe going public with their relationship wasn't so bad after all.


	5. Kissing

"It's almost done!" Hiccup said as he took the blazing hot sword from the forge and ran his gloved hand over it. The shape seemed mostly right.

"It's not quite red-hot yet. Still orange. Needs a minute more," Astrid said beside him, and he nodded before putting it back in the forge.

"Alright then, let's heat it up a bit more," Hiccup said, feeling around for the bellow and pumping them to fuel the flames.

"I'm putting more coal in," Astrid said, not even asking for his permission anymore. They were becoming a better and better team in the forge. Although the loss of his eyesight meant Hiccup would never be able to smith on his own again, working with Astrid was a good replacement. It was, for lack of a better word, _fun_.

It allowed them to talk and interact while keeping busy, not having to worry about awkward silences. The strange orders and repairs coming in were always a good source of gossip, and Gobber was never lacking in jokes to tell.

Sure, Astrid had her own chores, chopping trees and herding cattle for the other villagers, but she always came to see him if she had time off, and was always eager to help him. Stormfly seemed to enjoy sleeping in the corner, the forge's glow reflecting beautifully off her scales.

"Maybe light the other forge as well, with a low flame. We'll need it to make those tin nails for Yakbrain," he said as she rummaged in the supply closet for coal.

"On it. Why does he want tin nails anyway? They're much weaker than iron," she asked as she gently nudged him aside to put in the coal, before moving to the other cold forge.

"Tin doesn't rust like iron does, which is pretty useful when you're making ships. It'd be better to use bronze in my opinion, it's way stronger, but Yakbrain is cheap. Plus he won't listen to me. You know how he is during council meetings," he chuckled, remembering how often the shipwright had blasted his ideas.

"You're still the expert. He should listen to you. Ah well, I guess it's more business for us when his ships sink and he needs more nails," Astrid said as the forge blazed to life, and Hiccup felt a blush rising at her mention of 'us'.

The forge was definitely his work. Stoick had made it clear he needed a job if he wanted all the invention supplies he used, like paper and copper. For Astrid this was just a distraction, a hobby, a way for her to spend time with him. She wasn't getting paid directly for it. But maybe in a way it was a joint thing. They did their inventing together, and she needed the supplies just as much as he did for that. Not to mention he could never say no to her when she asked for other stuff.

They didn't really talk about it, but they both knew Astrid's family had only a fraction of the Haddock's wealth. Her father didn't have a steady job, instead doing odd jobs like construction work, just like Astrid. Her mom did manage the Great Hall, but it didn't bring in that much money. So even though Astrid would never ask him for anything, if she mentioned her family needed something, like new kitchenware or blankets, Stoick would 'conveniently' find some 'spares' in their basement.

Astrid had been upset about it the first time it happened, but he had just told her she brought enough warmth into his life, giving her a new blanket was the least he could do. She had laughed, told him he was 'hopeless', but had never brought it up again.

Maybe her helping him in the forge was a way for her to pay him back? If so, he wouldn't complain about it. It would probably only lead to a stupid argument that would change neither of their minds.

"The sword is red-hot now," Astrid's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he quickly withdrew the weapon and put it on the anvil. Sparks and soot flew when he started shaping it, and he knew he'd have to clean his face later. These steel swords always created so much smoke.

Astrid worked on her own while he was busy, melting down tin and preparing the molds for nails. Although she had only been doing this work for a year, she was quickly becoming a master. And it was all for him, as far as he could tell. Okay, he wasn't going to be that arrogant, he knew she genuinely enjoyed smithing, but still. There were a lot of other things she could be doing with her time.

Smiling, he finished the sword before plunging it in the cooling vat. Astrid was just finishing up with the nails, pouring liquid tin into the molds. She was humming a little song he didn't recognize, and suddenly he couldn't resist. He walked up to her as she put down the tray of tin, took a deep breath, and grabbed her face gently with his gloved hand.

"Hiccup, wh-" she didn't get to finish her question when he carefully put his lips on hers. It wasn't easy, with his blindness he couldn't always be sure where her mouth was, but somehow he managed. Their tongues touched for a second, but it didn't devolve into hungry making out.

"You're amazing," he whispered as he pulled back after a minute, hands shaking slightly. He rarely initiated their kisses, though not for lack of desire. Astrid was always moving, always active, and he never dared to try and find her mouth. It wasn't worth the embarrassment he got when he kissed her ears or nose or eyes instead.

"What brought this on? Not that I'm complaining, I'm just a little surprised," she asked, grabbing his hand in hers and squeezing lightly.

"I don't know, I was just thinking that I'm happy you're here with me, and I wanted to show that," he said slowly, lowering his head. Now he was suddenly embarrassed? What was wrong with him?!

"Aww, that's sweet-" Astrid started saying, but then the door flew open with a loud bang and Gobber entered. They jumped apart, trying not to look too guilty. Astrid inspected the nails, while he checked the cooled sword.

"Ugh, would ya stop that fidgeting? I know you two were kissing in here, and it's okay as long as it doesn't interfere with work," Gobber shouted after a minute, and Hiccup was sure his face was bright red.

"How did you know?" Astrid asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"Well, those smiles for one. But mostly it's the fact that both of your faces are covered in smudged soot. I'm guessing Hiccup's smithing rubbed off on you, Astrid," Gobber laughed. Hiccup wondered if he could invent a trapdoor that would allow him to sink through the floor in situations like this.

But then Astrid squeezed his hand again, drawing a little heart with her finger, and he knew it was still worth the jokes from the villagers.


	6. Wearing Each Other's Clothes

**Sorry guys, I know I missed a day yesterday. I had a really busy day, and was just too exhausted to write. I'll make up for it with two drabbles tomorrow! Don't hesitate to leave a review, they really help my motivation!**

* * *

"No one can ever know," Hiccup said, voice trembling slightly.

"Aww, is it that bad? I thought you liked my skirt. You once called it 'badass', remember?" Astrid teased, trying very hard not to burst into laughter. Hiccup looked so embarrassed by the situation.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," he muttered, turning away from her. "Let's just get this over with."

His hands, shaking with anger or shame, moved to the back of his head and untied his blindfold.

"For what it's worth, I think you look cute. It kinda suits you," she said when he handed the piece of cloth to her. Unwilling to look at his now exposed scars, she looked down again, to Hiccup's waist.

Adorned with her skirt. It was a little too small for his legs, and should restrict his movement. Perfect. That should make it a bit fairer.

"Thanks. I guess. Not sure if that was a compliment or not," he said, adjusting the waistband of the skirt again. Remarkably he was still thin enough that the skirt threatened to slip over his hips.

"It was a compliment. Don't be so hard on yourself. Honestly it's dumb that men throw a hissy fit at the very idea of a skirt, like they stop being men if they put one on. So I admire that you're willing to do this," she said, a little softer now. Her words brought a slight smile to her husband's bright-red face.

"I guess you're right. I'm just sad I don't get to see you without your skirt. I always wondered what that looks like," he chuckled, and Astrid punched his arm lightly.

"Pervert. I'm still wearing my leggings and my underwear. And it's not like you don't know what's under there," she said, shaking her head.

"Sure, now I do. But I didn't know that when I was 15 and your skirt _just barely_ hid the good stuff. You know I didn't know anything, it was all secret and mystery for me," he laughed, and she smiled. Her husband hadn't known anything about women when they got married. She had to teach him. Thoroughly. At least he was a quick and eager learner. Not that she didn't enjoy the teaching.

Seeing Hiccup in the short skirt, hanging low on his hips, was sending her thoughts in strange directions, and she forced herself to focus on the here and now.

"Right then. I'll put on this blindfold and we'll see who's faster!" she said, forcing her eyes back to his face.

"Still confident?" Hiccup asked as she tied the cloth around her own face. It felt weird. She had never worn it before, wasn't sure what to expect. She wasn't completely blind, she could vaguely see through it, but not enough to not to run into trees.

But she wasn't gonna tell Hiccup that. How dare he suggest he could be faster than her?

"Of course. I'm gonna destroy you. Cane?" she said, holding out her hand. Hiccup briefly ran his hand over hers, squeezing it before placing his cane in it. It told her that despite the banter, he still cared.

"Okay then. First one to make it to Toothless' cove wins and has to do all the housecleaning for a month," she said, tapping the ground a few times with the cane. It was strange and unfamiliar, and she wasn't really sure how Hiccup navigated with this. She certainly couldn't tell much from it. She might just have to not use it. At least Hiccup didn't have it.

That was part of the compromise they came up with as part of this crazy bet. They had been walking back to Berk through the forest after checking on one of the distant farms, and she had mentioned how slow Hiccup walked. Surely she could run faster blindly, she had laughed.

Hiccup had looked embarrassed for a bit, but then a smirk that scared her appeared on his face, asking if she was willing to prove that.

And that's how they ended up here. She had to wear his blindfold and got to use his cane, but he had to wear her skirt and boots to slow him down a little. She didn't mind that last part, she liked running on bare feet, and her skirt did impede her movement a bit sometimes.

"Get ready to eat your words," he said, moving next to her. She could sense he was there, but not much else. His stance or direction were a complete mystery to her. How did Hiccup figure that kind of stuff out all day?

"Enough chat. Let's go in three… two… one… go!" she shouted, jumping forward and running as fast as she could. Her arms were held out in front of her, locating trees so she could jump to the side. Still, it only took a few seconds before she tripped over a root. It didn't slow her down, however, she turned her fall into a roll and got back to her feet in one smooth motion.

Hiccup seemed to be taking things slower. She could hear his footsteps behind her, calm and methodical. That's not the way to win!

Astrid kept running, jumping and rolling whenever she stumbled. She hit a tree pretty hard with her shoulder, but didn't stop. Soon enough she couldn't hear Hiccup anymore, but that didn't stop her from moving forward.

So she ran for a while. She hadn't expected how distorted time became when she couldn't see and had to focus so much on her other senses. She barely had time to think.

Pebbles scraped her bare feet, and a branch scratched her thigh. If she'd had her skirt, that would have just bounced off. Still, she kept moving. It couldn't be far now. Straight ahead from their starting location, that's where the cove was. Surely she should have hit the wall by now. Just a little further. Just a little. Maybe a minute longer. Curse this blindfold, she couldn't see a damn thing!

Suddenly a root snagged her ankle, and she fell painfully. It made her stop for a second, holding her aching knee. Without the sounds of her own footsteps, she suddenly heard something else.

Waves.

That wasn't right. There was no water between the farms and the cove. Just thick forest. The ocean was far away. But she did hear…

For a moment Astrid felt guilty when she pulled the blindfold off, though it washed away when she saw she was near the edge of the forest, looking out over the bay. She had somehow gotten completely turned around. How long had she been running? It had been maybe a quarter mile to the cove, but this was at least a mile away.

Maybe the trees hadn't been her biggest obstacle in this race.

It took fifteen minutes of walking back on bloody feet before she made it to the high cliffs marking Toothless' cove. Hiccup was waiting at the entrance, whistling a happy tune as he leaned against the rock with his hands on her skirt.

"Hey there, milady! Took you long enough. Still think you're the fastest with a blindfold?" he asked smugly, and she resisted the urge to snark.

"You were right. It was a lot harder than I expected. I thought the obstacles would be the biggest problem, me tripping and hurting myself, but I got lost. Made it all the way to the west beach before I realized," she admitted, giving him back his blindfold.

"I'd say 'I told you so', but I didn't tell you about how hard navigating is, plus I don't want to be nasty about it. I think it's brave you still tried it. I don't think anyone else in the Academy would have been willing to do this," he said as he tied his blindfold back around his face before pulling her boots and socks off.

"Plus, I had trouble walking in your shoes too. I'm not used to having something around my prosthetic. The skirt is… surprisingly comfy, though," he added, face reddening again.

"Oh really? You want to try it more often?" she asked as she put her socks on.

"I don't think so. The spikes still scare me. But it's… I don't know, it's nice somehow," he muttered, turning away again.

"Well, I don't think any less of you for it. Hell, I think it's incredible you can find your way through the forest. That's what makes you an amazing man, not your clothing," Astrid told him as she pulled her skirt up. Damn this way too cute boy. Some part of her was still angry that she lost a race, but damn if she wasn't impressed by him in a way.


	7. Cosplaying

**A/N: I'm sorry I'm falling a bit behind, guys. This was a really difficult prompt to write for. I'm not sure if I'm entirely happy with how it turned out, but I don't want to waste more time on it. I'm gonna do my best to catch up this weekend!**

* * *

"Oh. Oh wow," Astrid said as she read the script again. "This is a lot bloodier than I remember."

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad. You should see the Ragnar Lodbrok play I wrote a while back. That one's definitely not for the children!" Kirsten laughed, and Astrid wasn't really amused.

"Maybe, but this play _is_ for little kids. And maybe we shouldn't be showing them ' _The Glorious Tale of Grimbeard, Enslaver of Dragons'_ anymore. Six months after, you know, making peace with the dragons, we shouldn't be portraying a Nadder getting split in two while... 'blood sprays everywhere and entrails spill from the mangled corpse'? What were you thinking when you wrote this?" Astrid shouted, quoting from the scroll with disgust. Stormfly looked up in alarm at her raised voice, and Astrid felt even sicker at the thought of her dragon getting chopped up like that.

Normally she liked her mother's plays. Hell, she must have watched this one when she was a little girl. But now…

"Hey, that's my most popular play! As a matter of fact, I recall _you_ cheering particularly loudly at this part about 10 years ago. You didn't even notice the entrails were sausages and the entire dragon was a doll," Kirsten said, obviously trying not to laugh.

"Well, maybe little me was an idiot who had no idea what was right or wrong, and adults told me that butchering innocent dragons was a good thing," Astrid said, putting the scroll away. She couldn't look at it for another second.

Kirsten sighed deeply, her smile dropping. "Maybe you're right. You have to understand that when I wrote this… it was a different time. And no matter how outdated its message may be, I'm still proud of it. I worked hard on this play, and I think it still has good parts despite the… bloody imagery," she said, and Astrid didn't really know what to say.

"But Astrid… You're right. It's time I- no, _we_ write something new. Hiccup can help too. And then you can perform that new play, something more fitting for these times."

"I'd like that," Astrid slowly said, already trying to think of plotlines. Maybe something about training dragons instead of killing them!

"Alright then! Get your boyfriend in here too, we have a lot to write before the festival!" Kirsten said, grabbing ink and paper and looking very eager to start writing.

* * *

It wasn't easy for Astrid to suppress her laugh when she saw Hiccup with a huge fake beard and a helmet with a broken horn walk out on stage, but remembering her own outfit helped. She was dressed in what were basically Hiccup's old clothes, including his brown fur vest.

"Hello children, welcome to my newest play, Book of Dragons! And applause for Hiccup and Astrid, who play Bork the Bold and Hiccup Haddock, respectively! Today you'll see the history of how we interact with dragons!" Kirsten announced, bowing at the applause from the parents gathered in the square before leaving the stage. Hiccup looked really nervous, but thankfully he didn't have much stage fright.

"Over a hundred years ago lived a Viking named Bork the Very Very Unfortunate. That's me! Now, I know that's quite a sad nickname, but how did I get that name? Well, it was because of my interactions with dragons. You see, I tried to do a lot of jobs. I tried fishing," Hiccup explained as he lifted a fishing rod with a fish hanging from it. He sat down on a chair on the stage, mimicking him fishing in the ocean, when Toothless walked on the stage. The dragon suddenly snatched the dragon from the line, and Hiccup 'woke up' dramatically. A moment later he was chasing the stealing Night Fury off the stage as the kids laughed.

"I also tried farming," he said as a wooden board with a wheat field painted on was pushed onto the stage. Seconds later Hookfang descended from the sky and set it ablaze. It was quickly wheeled off-stage again to cheers and laughter.

"I even tried blacksmithing!" Hiccup continued when a pile of stones and an anvil were moved on stage. Again he only worked for a few seconds before another dragon, Meatlug this time, interrupted him and ate the rocks.

"So, I decided that the best way to get these dragons to leave me alone was to learn all there was to know about them. That way I'd learn what they hate, so they'd leave me in peace!" Hiccup announced, sitting down again and grabbing a book.

"I studied every dragon there is, and wrote down everything in this little book. For example, when I was camping in the forest one night I encountered a Deadly Nadder…" Hiccup said as Astrid nudged Stormfly onto the stage. They had another dramatic encounter, with Bork learning Nadder's hate to have mud thrown on them.

That was her cue.

"I'm Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, and I'm much younger and handsomer than Bork!" she said as she climbed the stage. The children laughed, immediately accepting this.

"I also try to learn everything about dragons, but unlike Bork, I want them to be my friends! For instance, with this Nadder I know there's nothing she likes more than having her tail stroked!" she said, doing just that. Stormfly chirped happily.

So they continued with the other tamed dragons. 'Bork' would first have a painful encounter with them, after which he learned to drive them off. Then 'Hiccup' would learn to attract the dragon and have them help each him with a task. The kids weren't laughing as much anymore, but they paid close attention.

"Me and Bork are very different in how we saw dragons. But we were also similar! We both sought to learn and to study, and to write down what we found so others can learn from it! And maybe in a few years you guys can also write down what you learn from your dragon friends!" Astrid concluded the play, and the children cheered. Actually, not just the children. The adults seemed to like it too. Honestly she hadn't expected that, and she could feel a blush forming. Hiccup wasn't much better.

"Hmm, I might have a new most popular play," Kirsten mused as they left the stage and the families dispersed. "Also, you make an adorable Hiccup."

"I'm not sure, Mother. I think the most adorable Hiccup is still right here. Even with that ridiculous beard," Astrid said, kissing him on the cheek before pulling the beard off. "Much better."


	8. Shopping

Hiccup often wished Toothless could talk. It would help with flying, training dragons, and just when Hiccup wanted to vent about something. But right now it would be especially useful. Normally he'd have Astrid to help him with this, but since this was supposed to be a surprise, that wasn't an option.

Snoggletog was just around the corner, and he still had to find a gift to put in her helmet. In previous years he had smithed her new weapons and armor, but by now her set was basically complete. Sure, he could always make her another type of weapon, maybe a warhammer, but she probably wouldn't use it anyway. The pike he had made her two years ago was still gathering dust.

"What do you think, Toothless? Which stall should we check out first?" he asked the dragon by his side, and got only a warble in response. He guessed it meant 'the fishmonger's stall', but Astrid wouldn't appreciate rotten fish in her helmet.

So he sighed, before going to the first stall. It was market day, people eager to buy and sell all kinds of goods before the feast next week, so the plaza was full of stalls. If he could see what each person sold it would be easier, but he supposed he'd just have to ask each one individually.

"Good morning. What are you selling?" Hiccup asked, scratching at his blindfold. The cold air made his scars itch.

"Toys of all sorts! Dolls, figurines, animals on little wheels, and anything else your child could ever want! How old is your girl now, Hiccup? Time to get her a new doll, maybe?" the woman behind the stall said, and he frowned. Nothing here for Astrid, but he should get something for little Thora. She was nearly three now, and while he had smithed her some toys like the moving animals on display here, and Stoick had carved little knights and vikings from wood, maybe she'd enjoy a doll. He should really discuss that with Astrid first, but as he felt some of the soft dolls he was very tempted to just get one now.

"This one… is this a dragon? A Nightmare?" he asked, feeling a plushie toy and marvelling at the soft appendages he guessed were spikes.

"Indeed it is! Let me guess, she's already got a favorite dragon? I've got a whole set of dragons, they're quite popular!" the woman said enthusiastically, and he nodded.

"Do you have a Nadder? She quite likes those. They're fast and full of energy, just like her," he laughed, digging in his pocket for coins. This wouldn't be cheap, but it'd be worth it. Hiccup just couldn't make something like this himself, and neither could Astrid. She was hopeless with sewing, even after years of practice. Repairs and simple clothes like shirts were doable, but not something complex like a plushie dragon.

"Good choice! Though maybe don't give her a real Nadder baby just yet! That'll be ten silver coins," she said, and he winced before handing over the money. The thought of his daughter's squeal when she'd see the gift made it sting less.

He put the toy in Toothless' saddlebag before moving to the next stall. The fragrance made it quite clear they were selling meat, and Hiccup quickly moved on despite his dragon's protest.

"You'll get some more fish when we get home," he muttered when Toothless whined dramatically. The dragon grumbled, but didn't argue.

They passed more stalls, Hiccup mostly avoiding the food, though he stopped at a pastry stall to buy some sugary cakes. Astrid would never admit it, but she had a massive sweet tooth, and they would always make her a relax a little. Especially now that she was pregnant with their second child, she always craved things that gave her energy.

Honestly Hiccup was having fun shopping without Astrid. She was more… responsible with money, and would definitely have protested the cakes and probably the toy as well. He understood why, she had grown up in a household where every coin had to be spent with care. But the Haddocks had a lot more spending money, and he just couldn't get enough of how happy these little luxuries made her.

But a few stalls later his happy mood was draining away again. He was at a jewelry stall, and while Astrid didn't like jewelry whatsoever, he wasn't sure what else to get her. His wife wasn't someone who _needed_ much. She didn't indulge in hobbies that required a lot of supplies, and certainly didn't care for 'things that were pretty but pointless', as she put it once.

Still, maybe she'd like the pendant in the shape of the rune for strength, or the bracelet with the axe symbol on it. Toothless growled softly, and Hiccup sighed.

"You're right, Toothless. She'd hate this stuff. Sorry, mister," he said, putting back the pendant and moving to the next stall. It went on like that for a while, him rejecting books and gems, engineering tools and complicated kitchen supplies. Nothing Astrid would use.

He was about to give up and go home when he reached a clothing stall. This one was interesting. Winter was upon them again, and Astrid clung closely to him in the night. He didn't mind at all, but he hated the idea of her being cold. She shouldn't get sick, especially pregnant.

"What do you have?" he asked the merchant from beyond the sea, and the man chuckled.

"All sorts of smaller items of clothing. Scarves, underwear, socks, caps, gloves, all made from the finest English wool!"

Hiccup frowned, feeling gently. Astrid had complained of cold and aching feet lately.

"What kind of socks? What color?" he asked, lifting a sock while trying to figure out what it looked like.

"We have some plain white ones for two silver coins per pair, but for an extra four silver coins you can get some with special designs, knitted by the finest seamstress in Norway. You can have pictures of dragons on your socks, or maybe you want some other animal. How about a god? Let's see, we have Thor, Odin, I believe this one is Njordr, and Freya of course, she's popular with the ladies," the man said, and with the way his voice became teasing at the last sentence Hiccup had to assume he was winking at him.

"That's perfect! Can I get a pair with Thor, and another with Odin?" Hiccup shouted, relief washing over him. Toothless warbled, nudging him and becoming restless with the long day of shopping.

Alrighty then! That's twelve silver coins, please, and come again! Maybe a nice scarf, eh?" the man chuckled, and Hiccup was fairly sure this was an outrageous price for socks, but these special designs weren't easy to make, so he wasn't going to argue.

"Let's go home to wrap these presents, and then we can go for a flight!" he told Toothless, and the dragon was suddenly eager to go home, not even letting Hiccup put the socks in the saddlebag before running off.

* * *

"Aaaaaah, it's a dragon! It's just like Stormfly! Look, Mommy! I love it!" Thora cooed over the gift from her father, who smiled widely at her reaction. Astrid frowned a little, not entirely happy that Hiccup had bought that without consulting her. It looked pretty expensive, and while Thora's laughter was priceless, she didn't want to spend too much money.

"That's right, it's a Nadder!" she told her daughter, who was already setting up the little knights she got from her grandfather for a glorious battle with her new dragon. Stormfly chirped, looking curiously at the family sitting around the fireplace.

"Now, let's see what you got for me. Looks like it's not a weapon this year," Astrid said as she took the small package she immediately recognized was wrapped by Hiccup. His wrapping skills were… special.

"I hope you like them. I know you like Odin and Thor, so…" Hiccup's sentence was interrupted by her hard laugh when she saw the socks.

"These are supposed to be… HAHAHAHAHAHA, Hiccup! Really? These are Odin and Thor?" she laughed, holding up the crude designs of something she could vaguely recognize as a man with a hammer, and another man with an eyepatch. Honestly they looked more like pirates. Thora looked up, but quickly got bored and turned back to making her new dragon eat the knights.

"The man who sold them said so…" he stuttered, clearly startled by her response.

"Oh, Hiccup. I know you meant well, but please… just don't buy any clothing without someone present who can see?" Astrid asked, and he sighed.

"Toothless was there," he muttered softly.

"You know what I mean. Look, I get that you don't want me there when you shop for my presents. But maybe take your parents, or a dragon rider," she said, reaching down to untie her boots and take off her socks.

"I guess you're right. I just thought… Your feet are always aching, and you said they get cold in the morning, so I figured…" he said, head dropping.

"Don't feel bad! They're really thick, I'm sure these are super warm! I can wear them inside the house, okay? Or when I'm wearing my thick boots," she said as she took her socks off.

"I figured you'd like this more than jewelry at least," he said, and she chuckled.

"Definitely. And they're certainly warm and comfy!" she said as she put them on, already relieved at the feel of soft wool on her aching ankles. This pregnancy was harder than the last one, the child inside her constantly moving, and it was remarkably heavy. So she'd take anything that would make it easier.

"Next year we're shopping together for the children, though. I don't want you spoiling two kids!" she said, and Hiccup laughed. Thora knocked over another knight, and made burning sounds as she mimicked the Nadder breathing fire on a king.

"I can't wait. To meet this little one, and to spoil them rotten," he said, rubbing her belly.


	9. Hanging out with Friends

The waters around Berk were usually somewhere between 'literally freezing' and 'unbearably cold', so for it to be warm enough to actually swim was rare. But today was one of those days: A terribly hot summer's day with no rain or clouds or wind, just the sun beating down mercilessly on the island. Human and dragon alike sheltered in the shadows or dove into the (still fairly cool) ocean.

"Come on, Hiccup! The water's great! Join in!" Tuffnut called out, his voice followed by the sound of splashing water as Snotlout jumped in from the small cliff. Hiccup shook his head.

"Maybe later," he said, trying to avoid swimming if he could. It was hard to swim with the heavy leg weighing him down, and saltwater did painful things to his scars. Plus he didn't mind the heat that much. Maybe it was because he was normally always a bit cold compared to the other riders, wearing long sleeves and thick vests when they bared their arms to snow and ice.

He was having enough fun on the beach anyway. The six riders and their dragons were alone on the east beach, far away from the village. They had agreed to spend this hot day together as friends, instead of just fellow members of the Dragon Academy.

Tuffnut and Snotlout were playing some kind of ball game in the water, splashing water over Barf and Belch who were dozing in the shallow parts of the sea. Hookfang stuck to the shadows of the nearby treeline. Fishlegs was lying on his back on the beach, reading a book while Meatlug dug in the sand for wet rocks.

Astrid and Ruffnut were swimming as well, though they seemed to keep their distance from the wild boys, sticking together and racing each other around the little bay. Hiccup could sometimes hear them laugh and talk when they passed close to his spot on the beach. Stormfly followed them at a slower pace, seemingly content to just cool off.

Toothless nudged Hiccup, and he chuckled.

"Do you wanna swim too? You can, you know. We don't have to stick together all the time. Don't let me hold you back," he whispered, and the dragon warbled once before running off. A second later a loud splash echoed through the bay, followed by a wave of water soaking Hiccup's clothes and nearly washing away the sandcastle he was working on.

"Easy, bud!" he called out before assessing the damage to the fortress. The one tower he had built so far had crumbled a bit, and he scooped up more sand to repair it, before moving to build a second tower.

"Do you ever stop tinkering?" Astrid said from right beside him, and Hiccup jumped, nearly knocking down the wall.

"Yeah, Hiccup, even now you're being a nerd. Enjoy the warmth and the sea already," Ruffnut added, and Hiccup chuckled.

"I am enjoying it. Just in my own way. Maybe you should try building a sandcastle. It might be more fun than you think," he told Ruffnut, and she scoffed.

"Nah, blowing them up is more fun," she said before running back into the water. Astrid, however, sat down next to him.

"Don't listen to her. I think it's nice that you're always building and creating. Just… don't forget about us, okay? We're here together as friends, and we don't do that often enough. You shouldn't isolate yourself," she said softly so they wouldn't be overheard. He sighed, stopping his work on the outer wall, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Look, I get that it's hard for you to join them in what they're doing. You… have trouble swimming, and you can't really play ball games. But maybe if you open up a bit we can find ways to do things together. It's funny in a way, you're so open and adventurous with dragons and inventing, but with our friends you're always so hesitant," Astrid said when he didn't reply.

"You're right. I just don't want to make things awkward," he said, and Astrid giggled.

"Hiccup, I hate to tell you this, but you _are_ awkward. It's who you are, and I adore you for it. But they're awkward too. I can tell Fishlegs is nervous about swimming just like you, and Ruff thinks the water is still too cold and wants to go to a hot spring."

He chuckled, lips curling into a smile. "Just give me a minute, I'll just finish this part and then I'll come swim with you, okay?" he said softly. She didn't reply with words. Instead she grabbed his head and pressed her lips to his.

"Get a room, silly lovebirds!" Tuffnut called, breaking them apart.

"Oh, got a problem?" Astrid said in a mock-angry tone as she stood up, and even from this far away Hiccup could hear the twin gulp.

"Mercy! Have mercy!" Tuffnut shouted when Astrid ran into the water to chase him down. Hiccup laughed along with the others, and suddenly the castle didn't seem so important anymore. He quickly finished up the last tower before standing up.

"Come on, Fishlegs. Let's make sure Astrid doesn't kill Tuff," he told the other boy as he stumbled to the water. It was hard to walk on sand, but with everyone's eyes on Astrid it wasn't as bad as before.

"I don't think anyone could stop her if she wanted to do that, but okay," Fishlegs said. A moment later his heavy footsteps were beside Hiccup's uneven ones.

Hiccup stopped at the waterline for a second, hesitating, but then Tuffnut's scream reached his ears, suddenly replaced with garbling as Astrid obviously pushed him underwater.

"Woo, go Astrid! Loki approves!" Ruffnut shouted, and Hiccup laughed. What was he scared of again? They were all weird and messed up, and he was just messed up in a different way. So he took a deep breath and jumped forward, hitting the water with a big splash.

The next hours were a blur, as they wrestled and splashed water at each other. Hiccup was rarely aware who was where, it was just a tangle of limbs and laughter. Only when the sun was lowering and the water cooled too far did they step on dry land again. Astrid started a fire with Stormfly's help, and Toothless caught a big pile of fish for them to roast.

"That was fun," he whispered to Astrid while they ate their fish. They were sitting right next to each other, him leaning his head on her shoulder. The smell of the fire mixed with the salty air made him sleepy.

"Told you. And who knows, maybe next time we can build sandcastles together," she whispered back. He nodded before moving his attention back to Snotlout who was talking about some new trick he trained Hookfang.

Yes, this was definitely worth repeating the next hot day. Or maybe a cold day too.


	10. With Animal Ears

**hey guys, I know I'm a little behind on days and I'm really sorry about that. I promise I'll do better in the coming week. The past couple of prompts were very difficult to write for, but the upcoming ones are easier, so I will be able to catch up =)**

 **I'll also start to mention at what point in their lives each drabble takes place. I'll also edit it into the previous stories tomorrow. This one is when they're 18, about 2 or 3 months after their wedding.**

* * *

"Come on, he'll never find us out here!" Hiccup told her, laughing as he pulled her further into the forest.

"You're quite the expert on this, aren't you?" she said sarcastically, following his lead. Occasionally she looked back through the trees, looking for any sign of the huge man.

"Of course. I spent most of my childhood hiding from my dad! I know every hiding spot in this forest," he told her, feeling the shape of a big nearby rock. "Just over here," he mumbled as he climbed over it and dug in a pile of leafs.

"You're terrible. You know he just wanted to prepare you, right? And you didn't make it easy on him," she laughed.

"Oh, don't act like you don't want to get away from him just as much right now. You're the one who suggested sneaking off!" he said while fumbling around the rocks and leafs.

"Because you're a bad influence on me. My father was right all along when he kept me away from you when we were kids. Your slacking off and running away from chiefing lessons has infected me now!" Astrid laughed as Hiccup moved some rocks to reveal a small cave opening.

"Hey, your endless diligence and duty spread to me for a few years. My dad wasn't too bad for a while, I could handle it. But ever since we got married he's been at it non-stop. You'd think I was the chief already!" he said, before stuffing his head into the tunnel.

"Oh gods yes. I used to think my father was hard on me. But even his endless drills weren't as tiring as these lectures!" she groaned, shuddering at the memories of Stoick explaining the family lines of the Meathead clan and how they intertwined with the other islands. It was important stuff, she _knew_ that. And she also knew that she was going to be chief just as much as Hiccup would be. Because of his disabilities she would have to read and write his letters, recognize faces, and do a million other things people like Stoick took for granted.

But even besides that… That was simply how they worked. Many men on Berk patronized her for being a warrior, assuming she could never be as strong or quick as a man. But her husband had never done that. Hell, he deferred to her expertise automatically in so many topics. Of course, she knew Hiccup was smarter than her. He could design and calculate and _imagine_ things her mind couldn't even begin to conceive, but he didn't seem to want to do it alone. He never held it against her that his brain was faster, just like how she didn't think less of him for being physically weaker.

So of course that dynamic would continue when he'd take his father's place. Even if the villagers wanted to pretend it was all Hiccup, behind the scenes they'd work as equals. Stoick and her parents kind of understood that, so Stoick included her in all the lessons.

"Okay, we can hide in here. It's a little tighter than I remember, but we can squeeze through. Don't worry, it gets much wider after a foot or so," Hiccup said, pulling her from her thoughts. He crawled through the tunnel, and she quickly followed. As promised, the tunnel quickly opened up to a spacious cave where she could even stand up straight. It was dark inside, but not pitch black. Spears of light pierced the darkness through tiny holes in the ceiling, illuminating small bugs crawling over mossy rocks.

"Lovely," she said as Hiccup explored the cave with his hands.

"Hey, don't knock it, I've hid here plenty of times. My dad could never find me here as long as I stayed quiet," he said, and she chuckled.

"So what did you do in here while you were waiting?" she asked. That made him pause for a second.

"Plenty of things. Drawing and designing. There's a rock over there where I'd sit. The light was good there. Probably still it. Or I'd just... " Hiccup started blushing and didn't finish the sentence, turning away from her. Astrid sat down and reached out for him, pulling him to sit down alongside her.

"You can tell me. I'm not gonna promise I won't laugh, but you know I won't think any less of you. And I want to learn more about what your life was like before we… you know," she told him gently, and he was silent for a bit before nodding.

"Okay then. It's really silly and dumb, but I'd sit here and… imagine this was my great hall, and I was a mighty warrior who ruled over it. The lizards perching on the holes in the ceiling were the heads of dragons I had slain, and the water from the little spring in the corner was fine mead. And... " he ducked his head for a moment, taking a deep breath. "... I'd imagine you were here too. With me. I'd wonder about what it'd be like, if we were together. That's why I tried to shoot down Toothless, because I figured you'd be impressed. You were, are, so strong and incredible, so I knew I had to be strong too before you'd notice me. I didn't know you at all back then, but… I don't know, I liked to dream you'd be amazed by my inventions, and my drawings, and my smarts. Of course I knew you wouldn't be, but when I was in here… it was easier to pretend," he slowly said, and she smiled.

"Oh, you dummy! You don't have to pretend. Hiccup, even before we were together, I was impressed by your inventions and by your smithing. And just by your determination. You lost your eyes, and then your leg, and you just kept going! That brain of yours, that wonderful beautiful mind never abandoned that… that vision. How you could something new in this world, something that didn't exist yet," she told him, and he chuckled.

"I think if twelve-year old me heard you say that he'd think he'd gone mad," he eventually said, and she smiled.

"Same for twelve-year old me, probably. But she was an idiot, and so were you," Astrid said, before mulling his words over in her head again.

"So you'd fantasize about me in here, eh? I'm sure they weren't all innocent dreams of us playing house," she teased, and he blushed even brighter.

"Of- Of course! I mean, I was a boy and you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, and… Like I said, in here it was easy to pretend," he stuttered. It was cute. Even now that they had been married for a couple months and he had gained _plenty_ of experience and confidence in the bedroom, he could still get awkward and embarrassed about his crush on her.

"Well, since we've got to wait for a while anyway, how about we make that fantasy come true?" she said as she moved her hands to the hem of his shirt. He jumped a little, shocked at her forwardness, but didn't say no.

Suddenly there was nothing but her and Hiccup as their lips crashed together, and hands started rubbing under clothes. But just when she started to really get into it he pulled away.

"Stop for a sec. Listen," he whispered, holding her still. She groaned, not happy at being interrupted like that. Her frustration only grew when she listened carefully but heard nothing but their breathing and the scurrying of a small lizard.

"Shhh," he said when she squirmed in his hold. It was honestly a little hard to not feel insulted, but she took a deep breath and remembered Hiccup would never reject her like that. He must have a good reason to stop their fun, she just had to trust him.

Still, her patience was wearing thin when she finally heard it. Faint calls. Stoick shouting their names. His heavy footsteps reverberated through the ground.

"He won't find us here. We just keep quiet for a minute and he'll be gone," Hiccup whispered, and she nodded. It was tense for a while as Stoick stomped past their hiding place, sounding more exasperated than angry at them.

"He's gone now. He always takes the same route down to the beach and then past the quarry back to Berk, so we're safe," Hiccup whispered when the footsteps disappeared, and she ruffled his hair.

"Your hearing is just insane. How do you even do it? Especially while we're busy like that! It's like you have the ears of a Thunderdrum," she laughed, remembering Fishlegs talk about how those dragons could hear calls from miles away.

"I don't know, I guess since I can't see I focus more on my hearing. I have to, you know," he awkwardly said, and they both laughed.

"I'm glad you showed me this place, Hiccup. Now… where were we?" was the last thing she said for a while as she pulled his lips back to hers.


	11. Wearing Kigurumis

**This one takes place when they're about 17-18 years old, a couple months before they get married.**

* * *

Hiccup didn't like Astrid's tone of voice. He wanted to like it, he really did. She sounded so happy and enthusiastic. But that particular kind of enthusiastic, combined with the fact that tomorrow was Snoggletog?

It brought back memories of last year's Snoggletog, when Astrid had gone all-out on 'new holiday traditions'. They had both missed most of the holiday two years ago when Meatlug kidnapped them. And although they had learned why the dragons all left that time of year, it didn't ease the hole inside everyone's hearts when the dragons went away.

So last year Astrid was determined to "bury the sadness" and instead bring joy. However, her ways of joy were… special, from being punched in the face when walking under a 'missing toe' to drinking the most horrific concoction Hiccup had ever encountered. Astrid never wavered, no matter how many complaints she got or how many people got sick from yaknog.

So Hiccup was understandably a little worried about her plans for this year. She had brought something with her, and he wasn't sure what it was. At least it didn't smell lethal or rotten.

"So… what's your new holiday tradition?" he hesitantly asked, hoping she couldn't hear the fear in his voice.

"It's amazing! Much better than last year's! Those were just child's play! I have so much more planned out now! But the biggest one is right here. You and the other riders will have to help me with it, though!" she said, voice so quick and excited he had trouble following her.

"Okay…" he said. Of course he couldn't say no to her. He'd never been able to say no to her. Not when she was this excited and happy about something. And especially when Toothless was gone he couldn't hurt the other half of his heart. She always supported him with his ideas, right? Then surely he could support her. Even if it might be 'improved yaknog' or something else crazy.

Oh gods, he was going to die, wasn't he?

No, he wouldn't think like that. She grew a lot since last year, and he knew her mom talked to her about the yaknog. But still… that voice scared him.

"So how can I help?" he asked, wishing he could see what she brought.

"Well, first you're gonna have to take your clothes off-" she started. Hiccup interrupted her when he choked.

"Wait wait wait wait, uhm, Astrid, I really like you, but we're getting married in two months and it'll be better to wait until then to do anything and- OW!" He yelped in pain when she interrupted his rambling with a punch on the arm.

"I didn't mean it like that! Seriously, is that really where your mind went? You're such a _boy_!" Astrid shouted, and he cringed.

"I'm sorry! I just got nervous and…" he said, voice softening. Suddenly her lips hit his, and she grabbed his shoulders in her hands, pulling him closer. He was so shocked he couldn't even return the kiss.

"I was just kidding. Relax, Hiccup. It's okay, I get it. You just make it so easy to tease you!" she giggled when she finally drew back. He couldn't reply: It took a bit for his brain to catch up.

"But look, what I was trying to say was that I made you some new clothes. You and the other riders. And I need you to try it on so I can see if it fits," she said when he didn't reply, though she didn't seem upset.

"Oh. Oh, right. I can do that. Just give me a minute to change," he said, taking the bundle of cloth she held out for him and moving up the stairs. He could finally relax when the door was closed behind him, and he took a deep breath.

Some of these days he had no idea why Astrid even put up with him, he felt so stupid. But maybe that's what she liked? He didn't want to question it. So he forced himself to unfold the cloth and figure out what it was.

That turned out to be harder than expected. It was only one piece of clothing, a large thing almost as long as he was. It had all kinds of appendages and… spikes?

"Uhm, Astrid? What is this? I… don't really understand how I have to put this on," he eventually shouted through the door.

"Oh. Oh! Right, you can't see it. Uhm, It's a full-body suit. A costume! I believe mother called it a 'onesie'? It's open at the waist, so you have to put your legs… uhm, leg in first. One of the legs is shorter than the other, to match your… condition," she slowly explained, clearly embarrassed herself.

"Ah. I'll… try that," he said, feeling the cloth again and figuring out what he guessed were the legs.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered, stripping to his underwear, taking his prosthetic off, and awkwardly putting his legs into the thing. It was surprisingly soft on the inside, but it still felt weird. Eventually he figured it out, and the rest of the costume fell into place. The upper half went over his head like a hoodie, and it had a zipper that closed over his chest. He still wasn't quite sure what it looked like.

"I think I'm done. I'm not sure if I can put my prosthetic back on over this, though, so can you come in here?" he called out after a minute of fiddling with the leg.

"Sure, I can tighten it a bit, then it might fit- AWWWWW!" Hiccup wasn't sure he liked the squee Astrid produced when she saw him. Such sounds didn't fit with Astrid Hofferson.

"It's just how I imagined! You look just like Toothless! It's so cute!" she continued, running over to where he was sitting on his bed and kneeling in front of him.

"Uh… so when you said you have these for the entire gang, you mean you made their dragons too?" Hiccup asked, running his hand over the hood and finally understanding what the spikes and appendages were. Or what the tail hanging behind him was.

"Uh huh! And one for me too, with Stormfly! I miss her so much, but this way she's a little closer, you know? But I worked the hardest on yours! Well, my mother helped me a lot. She did most of the work honestly, but I think she's happy I'm at least trying to sew now." she said, gently running her hand over parts of the costume.

"Oh wow. I'm impressed. I'm sorry, I don't have a big gift like this for you. I made you something in the forge, but... " he awkwardly said, and she chuckled.

"Stop that. You gave me plenty of gifts over the past year. And just seeing you in this is making me happy," she said, pecking his lips quickly. "Now, how does it fit? I can do some adjustments, make things tighter or looser. Oh, and let me see if I can put your leg on!"

Hiccup wanted to stop her. She had never put on his leg before, he always did it himself. But she had seen him put it on plenty of times, so she probably knew what she was doing. And with such an unfamiliar thing around his stump? Maybe it was better if someone who could see tried it.

"It's kind of tight around my shoulders. And I think the left arm is a little too short. Right arm is too wide, my fingers keep falling out of this glove," he said, trying not to jerk away from Astrid's scarred hands on his sensitive stump. Despite the thick cloth of the costume between them, it still felt strangely intimate.

"Okay, I'll fix that tonight. Now, I think it should be on correctly, so why not try taking a couple of steps? See if you can walk with it?" she said, and he obeyed. His leg was on perfectly. In the end maybe this thing wasn't so different from the sock he normally put over the stump.

"Uhm, the right foot is a bit slippery. I find it hard to walk on that. Left leg is perfect," he said after walking around the room. Just as he finished the sentence his right foot slipped. Before he could hit the ground, however, Astrid had caught him.

"Careful. Don't want you to crash," she teased, and he blushed.

"Thanks. For not letting me fall. And everything else," he whispered as he sat back down.

"Of course!" she said, sounding almost surprised. "Now, how about you change back, so I can make the adjustments. And then you can wear it tomorrow to the feast! Ooh, then you'll be able to see the other traditions I came up with! I'm not gonna spoil everything, but let's just say it involves boiling water!"

Hiccup felt himself get gripped by fear again, but he knew he could endure it. For this wonderful girl with her wonderful and crazy ideas he could do anything.


	12. Making Out

**NOTE: This is a relatively explicit chapter! Heavy references to sexual activity. If this was standalone I'd rate this M, or at least a very heavy T. If you're not interested in that please don't continue.**

 **This takes place when they're 17, several months before the wedding.**

* * *

"Oh, and then we add the chute below that to dump the chaff into the separate bin! Very efficient, and won't take much space!" Hiccup said as he jumped from the bed, nearly falling when he remembered he didn't have his leg on. Toothless quickly ran over to catch him. The sight made Astrid smile.

Hiccup had a lot of different cute moods. He was an incredibly emotive boy, and she loved how she could see so clearly what was going through his mind. From anger and annoyance to happiness or relief or love. Or even inspiration, like now.

Just half an hour ago he had been the exact opposite of this, trapped in a nightmare and subsequent dark day. Toothless had recognized it was bad, and fetched her. Hiccup always said she didn't have to do come out of bed for him, that he wasn't a baby, but he couldn't fool her. She wasn't deterred so easily, not when he needed her. She had tried to tell him several times he wasn't a baby, that these depressive episodes were the furthest thing from childish, but she didn't think that lesson really sunk in.

Still, he was always grateful when she came over, and with her and Toothless's help he usually cheered up quickly. Her efforts to distract him by talking about other things often led to actual inspiration. Like tonight, she had talked about how her father had spent the entire day helping to fix the mill. It had been jammed with chaff from the wheat it grinded, and Hiccup wasted no time in thinking of improvements.

He sat down at the desk and immediately began drawing, and Astrid knew better than to interrupt him. He had his best ideas when in such moods. For a while the only sound was the scratching of Hiccup's knife on the copper, his voice muttering to himself, and Stoick's snores piercing the floorboards.

At least the chief hadn't woken up. Hiccup had told her he was aware of her nighttime visits, and though the chief apparently approved, it made it no less embarrassing. She supposed she was lucky, most people would interpret her lying in her boyfriend's bed in the middle of the night way differently than it actually was. But still, these were private moments between her and Hiccup alone, even if they weren't making passionate love.

The thought of that made something stir in her, and she wrapped his thick blankets tighter around herself. It was cold without Hiccup's lanky frame beside her. Kirsten had given her another 'lesson for a happy marriage' today, while Astrid was learning to sew and couldn't leave.

She had talked at length about ways they could please each other with their mouths, and although Astrid had been embarrassed beyond belief at the time, now it left her a bit heated. Hiccup was right there, in the darkness, being so goshdarn _cute_ and attractive. It made it hard to remember it was still quite a while until they were married and would actually be allowed to do that stuff.

Okay, technically she was allowed to do plenty as long as her 'honor' remained intact, but she knew that if she crossed that line, went beneath their clothes, she wouldn't be able to stop.

The thought still created uncomfortable heat between her legs, and she stood up. Damn Hiccup was right there and he had no freaking clue what he was doing to her.

Astrid was sure he knew way less about these matters than she did. One time, on a night much like this, she had asked if he knew what sex entailed, and he had said something vague about 'swords' and 'sheaths'. It had worried her, made her feel a little dirty for knowing so much more. She had even asked her mother about it in a roundabout way, asking what the point of all the lessons was if Hiccup didn't learn any of it. Kirsten had laughed, saying that in that case she'd just have to teach him.

"Are you done drawing?" she asked softly, walking over to Hiccup's desk with his blanket wrapped around her and dirty thoughts swirling in her mind.

"Yeah, pretty much. I have to refine it a bit, but I can do that tomorrow. The most important parts are written down," he said happily, putting his knife down.

"Good. Then get back to bed, it's cold and you need to sleep," Astrid said, not really allowing him any choice when she pulled him up by the neck of his shirt.

Thankfully Hiccup didn't resist. He could get difficult sometimes, insisting on working on while she just wanted him. She'd never force him, of course, but sometimes she just had to remind that distracted head of his that she was right there in his *damn bed*. Gods, from what her mother told her boys should be fighting to take her clothes off at this point. Of course Hiccup wasn't like that, he was almost painfully hesitant in such matters, but that didn't mean it didn't sting sometimes.

Toothless rolled his eyes when she basically threw Hiccup onto the bed. The dragon clearly understood where this was going, and was thoroughly bored by this weird human bonding. Astrid briefly noticed him slinking off to his stone slab to sleep, but all thoughts of the dragon quickly fled her mind when she pulled Hiccup's lips to her.

"Do you think you can come over tomorrow so we can copy the design for that mill?" he asked right before her lips met his. She froze for a second, before sighing.

"Hiccup? Please shut up now," Astrid said before diving in.

He was lying on his back, and she straddled his stomach, letting the blanket cover them both. His hands moved to her waist as their kiss deepened.

"What about sleeping?" he whispered when she drew back for air.

"Later. Right now I want you," Astrid said, feeling a rush when Hiccup's hips jerked involuntarily at her words. Oh, so he was just as affected as she was, eh?

Good. He deserved it for making her feel all these things.

Still, despite his hunger his hands remained safely on her hips, not venturing up where she wanted them. Even when her tongue intertwined with his and their clothed chests rubbed together he didn't dare.

It was a little annoying honestly. Hiccup had a tendency to get a little stuck in indecision, and she had to move him along. She never asked him why he was so hesitant, but maybe he was just as worried as she was about going too far. It made sense that he was more scared given that he knew so little.

Still, it meant she had to grab his hand and place it firmly on her breast herself. His breath choked for a second like it always did when they crossed this line, but then he squeezed gently. At least he wasn't asking anymore. It had taken weeks but she finally got it through his thick skull that if she moved his hand there she wanted him to touch.

It wasn't enough. She could barely feel anything through her thick shirt and leather bindings. She wanted to tear them off, but she couldn't. That was the line. The rule they agreed on. Clothes stay on, and no humping either. Still, she moaned softly when her hips fell onto his and she felt him. He groaned, other hand flying to her hip. It seemed unsure for a second whether it wanted to pull her down to him or push her away. Astrid was unsure too. But their rational sides won out and she sat up a little straighter.

They were both breathing hard, and even without his blindfold, with his horrible scars on display, he looked so _delectable_. Gods, what did she look like? Was she as much of a mess as he was? What would he do if he could see her like this, hand on her breast, sweat soaking her clothes? Would he break? She wanted him to break, but they couldn't Goddamn rules.

It was torture, but damn it if it wasn't the best torture Astrid could imagine. Despite how hard and frustrating it was she wouldn't trade these sessions for the world. She never felt so alive and loved as right now, when she saw Hiccup's labored breathing, barely able to hold on. Still, she could only keep this up for so long at a time, and she was rapidly reaching her breaking point.

"It's… It's probably best if we stop now," she said, moving off him. He squeezed her breast one last time, but didn't protest… much. He whimpered involuntarily, and she couldn't help but notice the bulge in his pants. She shouldn't look at it, that was for their wedding night in a couple months.

No use. The image was burned into her brain, and as she kissed him goodnight and climbed out the window to run back home, she knew she wouldn't go to sleep any time soon. She had to deal with the burning between her legs first, and that image would play a big part in it.

But despite her frustration as she ran home through the dark streets she felt love and warmth too. That soft face of his, innocent and hesitant. That's why she was willing to wait, so they could do this _right_. And it was only a few months away now. She could hold on. They both could. And then they'd have the rest of their lives to make up for lost time.


	13. Eating Ice Cream

**Hiccstrid kiddos! This one takes place about 10 years after they're married. Thora is 8 years old, and Claybones is 6.**

* * *

Astrid sighed deeply when her son Claybones refused to drink his milk again. Thora, his older sister, was fussing on her side of the dinner table. The girl had seemingly endless energy and could barely stand to sit still for more than five minutes.

Clay was the complete opposite. Part of it was because of his immense fragility: For some unknown reason the boy had been born with bones that might as well have been made of glass. It had been a difficult birth, and for a long time they worried he wouldn't survive. The birth had broken nearly every bone in his limbs, and while the fractures had healed, it didn't stop him from breaking something nearly every time he fell.

But in addition the boy had a strangely calm personality. Even as a baby he had always sat still and observed the world around him with curious eyes. Thora never had the patience to watch, she wanted to touch and interact with everything she saw. It made it hard to watch her sometimes, as the girl would sit at the table and draw, but a minute later she'd be gone, distracted by an insect she saw or a sound she heard.

As Clay grew past toddler stage he became more and more docile and calm, rarely arguing with them, and preferring to stay indoors rather than play rough with the other kids.

"Can I play outside now? Fluffnut said he discovered a nest of crows near the square!" Thora said loudly.

"Indoor voice, Thora. And alright, if you're back before it gets dark. Don't hurt the crows, okay?" Hiccup said, smiling when Thora jumped up so quickly her chair fell over. She put it back before running out, the door slamming loudly. Clay flinched when the sound reached his ears. He wasn't a fearful boy by any means, but he was understandably on edge by anything that sounded like cracking bones.

"No wonder she was so hungry, she uses so much energy," Hiccup chuckled, before turning to his son. "How about you? Finished dinner?"

Astrid's face fell a little. She knew Hiccup loved their children with all his heart, but his blindness made it so hard sometimes. The simplest things were impossible for him, like now, when he couldn't tell if Clay finished his plate without touching it himself. The children knew about his blindness, though Claybones understood it better than Thora. Thora might have inherited her father's uncontrollable nature, but Clay got his intelligence.

"Yeah, I guess," the boy said, picking at the few remaining peas with the fork in his left hand. He was right-handed, but that arm was in a cast so often he learned to do things with his other hand too.

"You haven't finished your milk yet. You need milk, it helps your bones!" Astrid said, reaching out to nudge him gently. She had to be so gentle with her little boy, even a simple push or grasp could crack another bone.

Clay groaned loudly, his hand balling into a fist.

"I hate milk! Can't I drink water? Please, Dad? The milk is so thick, it makes me feel icky!" he said, turning to Hiccup. The boy had easily figured out his dad was far more likely to cave to begging. Hiccup did have a tendency to spoil them a little. It had taken a few years for her and Hiccup to figure out how to parent together, and even now they weren't always on the same page.

He grabbed her hand, and they exchanged quick signals. Clay's eyes darted to their bond, and Astrid realized that their boy might be the first person on Berk to actually figure out that they communicated in that way. He was definitely observant.

"Clay, since you're so reluctant to drink your milk, we bought something from Trader Johann. It's called ice cream, and it's basically milk, cream, and fruit juice, all blended together and frozen. It's much sweeter and has a different texture than milk. Would you like to try some?" Astrid slowly said. Normally they wouldn't 'reward' difficult behavior like this, but they were getting desperate. Clay needed milk and dairy badly, since there was rarely a day his body wasn't healing several bones at once. But he _hated_ drinking it. Some part of her wondered if it was exactly because of his healing bones. Maybe the milk reminded him of his fragile body.

Whatever the cause, everything they had tried to get him to drink milk failed. So if giving him dairy in the form of sweets was what it'd take, they'd do it. Besides, Clay didn't react so badly to sweets. Thora could get even more energetic from them, practically bouncing off the walls, but Clay just became more focused.

"Sure!" he said, and Astrid stood up to get the bucket of ice cream from the cellar. As she climbed down she could hear Hiccup talk about some invention he was working on. Clay was still a little too young to truly help his father with them, but he learned quickly.

Astrid cracked open a small tub of ice cream. They hadn't bought much, but her mother had learned the recipe from Johann as well. So they could always make more if Clay liked it.

She hated the nervous flutter in her stomach when she put the ice cream on the table in front of her son. Please like it, please! She didn't know what else to do if this failed. Clay looked suspicious at first, prodding at it with his spoon. The ice cream was still a little hard, so the spoon didn't quite puncture the ice cream. Instead the bowl slid across the table. Clay frowned, before holding out his splinted arm and carefully resting the bowl on his elbow, far away from the fracture near his wrist.

Astrid suppressed her chuckle. Clay was quite inventive in figuring out ways to do things, even when half his body was wrapped in splints and casts. Like his father he refused to let his disability stop him.

"It's weird," the boy said as he stabbed the dessert with his spoon. "I've never seen anything like it. I don't trust it,"

"Please, try one bite?" Hiccup asked, and Clay sighed. With a big eye roll he put a tiny bit of ice cream on his spoon and put it in his mouth.

Astrid could pinpoint the exact moment when he tasted it. His eyes went wide, his lips curved into a smile, and suddenly her boy was digging in like he was starving. It only took half a minute before the bowl was empty, and even then he grabbed the bowl and licked it clean. Normally Astrid would have scolded him for it, but she was too happy to be angry.

"Can I have more?" he asked when every trace of ice cream was gone, and Hiccup laughed hard.

"You can have more tomorrow. After dinner, if you've been good, you will get more. But no other sweets!" Astrid said quickly, before Hiccup could give his son another bowl. She knew that expression, he was about to do that. Hiccup looked a little peeved, but didn't argue.

"Alright! Can I go to my room now? I want to draw," Clay said cheerfully, already grabbing his padded crutch and standing up. When Hiccup gave permission the boy hobbled off, amazingly fast for someone who only had two functional limbs. The door to their son's room closed, and Astrid let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank the gods, he likes it. I don't know what we'd have done if he had rejected this too. Maybe put him on a diet of stew!" she told her husband. He chuckled.

"I'd have given up and just wrapped him in pillows for the rest of his life," he said, before standing up too.

"Still, we have quite a lot of ice cream left. More than he can eat on his own. How about we have some ourselves? I think we earned it. I love these kids, but they are a handful!" he whispered into her ear. Astrid grinned before nodding.

At least Clay could keep himself busy for hours, and Thora was always surrounded by other kids who could look out for her, so after dinner she and HIccup could have a bit of time to themselves.

When Hiccup returned with another bowl of ice cream "to share", they cuddled up next to the fire pit. Hiccup worked on an invention while she read a letter from a neighboring chief. Every few seconds, however, they took a bite of ice cream before giving the spoon to the other.

Astrid soon became drowsy, the sweet treat combined with the warm fire lulling her into sleep, and she laid her head on Hiccup's shoulder. He chuckled, quickly getting up to put the bowl away before resuming his place as her pillow. The last thing she thought before she fell asleep was that Clay was lucky he'd get to eat that ice cream every dang day.


	14. Genderswapped

**This was a difficult one to write. It's not autobiographical or anything like that, but I tried to imagine how Hiccup might reflect on his childhood after becoming a father himself. I don't know much about little children, so I hope I did them justice.**

* * *

This one is about 5 years after they get married. Thora has just had her third birthday, and Claybones is 6 months.

"Oh, hello Hiccup! I didn't expect to see you!" Stoick said when Hiccup opened the door of his house. Pitter-patter of rapid footsteps echoed behind him, and Hiccup quickly moved his arm down to block his daughter from running out.

"Thora, don't run out on your own. I promise we'll go to the forest later," he said, kneeling so he'd be closer to her height. She sighed, but he sensed her nod.

"What did I tell you about answering with words? You know I can't see you nod or shake," Hiccup said, putting his hands on his daughter's shoulders.

"Okay. Can we go soon?" she slowly said, and he nodded.

"I promise. But first we have to greet Grandpa! Look, Grandpa Stoick is here!" he told her, turning her a bit so she faced the door again. He wondered how far she had to crane her neck to see her enormous grandfather's face.

"That's right. Hello, little girl! How are you?" Stoick asked, kneeling. Hiccup wasn't sure what happened next exactly, but he suspected Stoick ruffled Thora's hair.

"Grampa!" she shouted, and they all laughed. Hiccup moved aside so Stoick could move through the door.

"So what did you mean when you said you didn't expect me? This is my house," Hiccup said as they sat down at the table. Thora grabbed her plushie nadder and started playing with it.

"Well, it's just that you're supposed to do your chief tasks right now. Magnus and Hilda expect their new land to be marked today," Stoick said, pouring himself a mug of water from the jug on the table.

"Astrid's doing that while I'm watching the kids."

Somehow he felt like the temperature dropped a few degrees at his words.

"Hiccup… You know that you are supposed to become the next chief, not Astrid, right?" Hiccup resisted the urge to groan.

"Of course I know that. But this is more convenient. I'm no good at placing land markers on my own, so Astrid would have to accompany me anyway. And then there'd be no one to watch these little rascals!" he said, nudging Thora at the last word. She giggled, and the Nadder moved from the table to fly at Hiccup's face.

"Oh no, I'm being attacked. Help, I'm powerless against the mighty dragon!" he shouted, falling back in his seat and raising his arms dramatically. Thora laughed triumphantly, before growing bored again and running to the desk to get back to her drawing. The girl was always switching between activities, never settling on anything in particular.

Hiccup wished he could see what she drew.

Toothless rose from his slumber to walk over to the desk as well. Hiccup assumed he looked at the drawing. Maybe it was a drawing of him.

"Still, you should be visible! Out there! Make sure the people have confidence in their future leader! I mean, surely someone else would be willing to babysit for a few hours..." Stoick said, interrupting his thoughts, and suddenly a flare of anger flooded through him.

"Like you always did with me? Dump me on Gunborg, or Gobber, or some other random villager while you went chiefing all day and all night?" he said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He wouldn't lose his temper. Not in front of Thora.

"It wasn't like that. Come on, I was raising you all by myself, and I was already chief at that point. You have Astrid, and me and Valka, and Tolfdir and Kirsten, and you only have to do a few tasks. Surely you can make time for what's important-"

"My children aren't important? Dad, I… This is precisely why we decided you'd hold off on the chiefing training for a while. Because I… I nearly had a nervous breakdown, okay. I couldn't take it. The wedding preparations, everything with Alvin, and then you kept pushing me about the chiefing lessons and it was too much. You might think chiefing is the only important thing in life, but to me there are a lot of other things that are important too. And now the kids are here and I want, no I _need_ to spend every minute I can with them. I want them to have a happier childhood than I did," he slowly said.

He had never admitted that to his father. He and Astrid had been vague about the exact reasons, and in the chaos following Valka's return Stoick hadn't questioned it.

Stoick was quiet for a long time after that. Suddenly the wail of a baby pierced the silence, and Hiccup jumped up.

"It's okay, Clay, it's okay! Does it hurt? I'm sure all those casts itch. Don't squirm, you'll make it worse. Just let me grab you like- Oh, thank you Toothless," he said as he oh so gently took his son from the cradle in the corner of the room. Toothless helped support the baby for a second as Hiccup shifted his hands to support the broken shoulder better.

"Look Dad, this is another reason why I don't want others to babysit him. Clay needs constant gentle care. He's so fragile. And I just don't trust anyone else with that," he said when Claybones calmed down a bit after a minute of rocking and comforting.

"Not even me?" Stoick said, sounding shocked. Hiccup sighed.

"Dad… You almost broke _my_ ribs once because you hugged me too hard. You shatter cups all the time because you squeeze them. And Clay breaks bones from _anything_. See this fractured shoulder he has? That's from Astrid lifting him by his armpits. We didn't expect that, and we've been raising him for six months," he said, sniffing the baby to check if the diaper needed changing. Thankfully it didn't.

"I didn't know you felt this way about me. I thought we were getting closer, ever since you met Toothless," Stoick whispered.

"It's not like that. Dad, I love you, and I know you tried your best, but ever since I'm a father myself, I realized how… messed up my childhood was. You were never there, and even if you were you never paid attention to me. I thought you hated me. I genuinely thought that for years. And… I don't want Thora or Clay to ever feel that way. I don't ever want them to feel like their dad didn't want to take care of them. Or their mom, for that matter," he said, hugging his son close.

"I screwed up, okay. I admit that. And I can never undo that. But I can try better with my grandkids! I have more time now, and Valka can help too! It's just that… you're inside the house all the time these days. A great many people think that the house itself is the… The woman's place! And outside, with your job, that's the man's place!" Stoick said. Hiccup forced himself to take a deep breath before answering.

"Well, this house isn't. My marriage isn't like that. Astrid and I are not like that. She's always been the physically strong one, the warrior. I know some of the villagers might say she's the man of this house. But… I never felt so happy, so alive, so… virile, in a way, as when I spend time with my children. If that makes me a woman, then fine, call me a woman," he said, rocking Clay to sleep. He wondered if Thora was listening. Probably not, she rarely paid attention to grown ups talk, and quickly got bored of any conversations.

"Son, you know I didn't mean it like that. I admire how hard you're working for these kids, it's just that… shouldn't Astrid be working with the kids too?" Stoick said, putting his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. Clay was quiet now, and Hiccup laid him back in the cradle. It was reinforced with extra pillows and springs to make sure he could never hit anything hard enough to fracture something.

"But she is! She's there for them every morning and every night. She feeds them, and cleans them. Things I just can't really do. And besides, she carried them for nine months each. She went through pain I can't even imagine to bring them into this world. I think she's done plenty. Don't you dare imply Astrid is a bad mother. She's infinitely better than… well, honestly better than both you and Mom ever were," Hiccup said. It felt good to finally say these things. It was only recently that he'd been able to process his childhood and talk about it honestly with Astrid.

"Maybe… Maybe you're right. But Hiccup, you have to understand that I didn't have it easy either. After Valka… disappeared, I was on my own. I didn't have parents or in-laws or a wife to help me with anything, and I had to do the chiefing by myself. And honestly you weren't the easiest to raise either. Always running off or disobeying my orders," Stoick said softly, releasing Hiccup's shoulder again.

"Thora is the same. But I manage, even though I can't see. I go along with her. If she wants to go looking for trolls, we try looking for trolls. And even if we don't find any, we both still have fun," Hiccup said, turning away from his father. Suddenly someone was pulling on his hand.

"Daddy? I made a drawing!" Thora said, putting something in his other hand when he knelt down. Hiccup tried his best to smile.

"I… I'm sure it's beautiful. When Mommy is home for dinner I'll ask her to describe it to me, okay? Unless you want to try?" he told her, unfolding the piece of paper. Thora had trouble understanding what blindness meant exactly. He kept having to remind her that he couldn't see her drawings.

"No, I wanna go outside now. Can we go? I saw a rabbit yesterday, can we try to find it again?" she said, already moving on to another activity. That put a true smile on Hiccup's face. Sometimes his daughter's lack of focus worried him, but in moments like these it was nice that she didn't linger on painful things.

Maybe he should do the same.

"You know what? How about Grandpa Stoick takes you to the forest? I can stay here with Clay, and make dinner. Grandpa is faster than me anyway, he can keep up with you!" he asked, standing up again before turning to his father.

"Of course, only if Grandpa is okay with… taking care of such an energetic kid," he said.

"I… I'd like nothing better. Let's find your rabbit! What did it look like?" Stoick said after a few seconds.

"It was white, and big! Bigger than my arm! It was digging in the dirt, and I'm sure there's a whole village of rabbits down there!" Thora shouted, running to the door. Stoick's heavy footsteps followed.

"A whole village? And what do they do down there all day?" the chief asked as they left. Toothless warbled once before running after them. That dragon rarely let the children out of his sight.

Hiccup sighed before putting the drawing on the table. Maybe his dad was right and a lot of villager called him a woman and Astrid a man. But if he got to spend so much time with his children, maybe being a woman wasn't so bad.


	15. In a Different Clothing Style

All things considered, Astrid loved seeing her husband tinker and invent. Sometimes it frustrated her when he became so focused on a project he forgot to eat or pay attention to her, but it was offset by how damn _cute_ he was when he was in the zone. Hiccup was awkward at best in most situations, but when he was inventing he was completely in his element. His mind worked faster than she could even comprehend, figuring out mathematics or visualizing vast structures. He'd scribble it hastily onto copper plates, muttering to himself constantly.

But ever since the children had come along he had less time for inventing, obviously. Not that it seemed to bother him much. Hiccup turned out exactly the father she expected him to be: Utterly devoted to his children, never running out of energy to play with them or teach them words and simple arithmetic.

It was true that he often left the more routine and uninteresting parts of parenting to her: Feeding and cleaning, Thora's morning run around the forest so she could burn some of her seemingly endless energy, and dressing Claybones' many splints and casts. Sometimes it frustrated her, but just seeing him teach their children often made her forgive him instantly. Besides, she was a lot better than him at those things. Hiccup was terrible at medicine and running because of his blindness, so it made sense she'd do it.

And he was chief now as well. After Stoick peacefully died in his sleep a few years ago he became the leader of the island for real. Of course, Hiccup had been doing a lot of the duties for a while already, together with her, but it was still a big change. They had responsibilities now, and precious little time to spend on their own projects.

She had never heard him complain about it. Despite his constant worrying before they got married, he adapted well, and understood why he needed to take up these duties. Still, every now and then she saw him sigh wistfully when he walked past the workshop room in their little home. Although their entire house had been adapted to deal with Hiccup's blindness, that room was his, just like the backyard had become her personal training area.

So when Astrid came home after dropping Claybones off at her mother's house she was surprised to hear Hiccup's voice coming from the workshop. Thora was with him, her loud voice booming over his.

"This'll be fun, Daddy!" the girl shouted, and Astrid became more and more curious, quickly dropping the groceries in the kitchen before sticking her head around the door.

"What's going on here?" she asked cheerfully, though a frown threatened to appear when she saw Hiccup wearing… something. It was a strange leather contraption with springs and coils and what looked like sails under his arms and legs. Toothless was beside him, sniffing the clothes warily.

"Oh, hey Astrid! Well, you see, Thora had this wonderful idea today, and I just had to make it a reality! I was telling her about the automatic tail fin I made for Toothless for Snoggletog that one time, remember? And she asked if I could make anything fly, even a person. And I think I can. Look, it's a flight suit! It should allow me to glide and turn and everything. I'm making one for Thora as-" Hiccup looked _cute_ as he explained his work, holding up copper plates with designs, and showing off the sails (wings?) under his arms, but this was too much for her.

"No."

Astrid's brain had just stopped the moment he mentioned Thora in one of these… things. She knew he loved their daughter with all his heart, but Hiccup could be so short sighted about his own inventions.

"But Astrid, I'm sure it's safe! I could anchor us to Toothless, and I'll test it first on the cliffs!" he looked almost shocked by her refusal, and she took a deep breath. Thora looked back and forth between them, unsure what to say.

"That's not… Hiccup, listen to yourself. You want to throw yourself off a cliff, or off a dragon, with just that thing stopping you from…" she couldn't finish the sentence. Images ran through her mind of Hiccup falling after defeating the Red Death, of his broken body in her arms. Suddenly she could smell that horrible stench of burned flesh again. His skin turned to ash.

No, never again. She couldn't go through that a second time.

"Thora, love, could you please go to your room and play? Anything you want. Me and Daddy need to talk for a minute," Astrid was sure the girl would refuse, but something in her voice apparently convinced her to obey with just a huff. Toothless hesitated for a few seconds, apparently unsure about leaving Hiccup alone in such a tense situation, but his inner babysitter won, and the dragon ran after Thora.

"Hiccup, this is insane. What if it goes wrong? What if you made a math error, or you sewed something wrong, or it turns out flying is more complicated than you think it is? What if you glide right into a cliff you don't see coming? What is Toothless supposed to do while you're not controlling his fin?" she said slowly after Thora had slammed her bedroom door. Hiccup seemed taken aback, his earlier enthusiasm buried. He stayed silent.

"And Thora… I get that she thinks it's exciting. But she can't tell if something is safe. And apparently neither can you," she finally continued. The last sentence came out harsher than she meant it, but it wasn't untrue either.

"You know I'll be careful! I wasn't gonna jump off Toothless with this! It's just that… inspiration struck after Thora said that, and I didn't want to forget any ideas. And she was so excited about it. She was focused on this for over two hours! And actively too, she was offering ideas and drawing and she helped with sewing this prototype! You know how she is, it's usually a miracle if she sticks with one thing for 10 minutes at a time. So I didn't want to tell her no," he said, sitting down in the chair and looking exhausted. Astrid felt stupid. She had been so rash.

"I… You should have told me that earlier. Because… younger you would have jumped off Toothless, I think. And I just can't handle the thought of you falling again. Did you forget what happened the last time Toothless had to catch you in a freefall?" she slowly said. Her voice trembled a little.

"Maybe… Maybe I would have. But it's different now. There are people who rely on me now. They'd be lost if something happened to me. Thora, Clay, the village. I can't let them down. Not for my own childish ideas," he said. A flash of anger ran through Astrid at the words. What about her? Wasn't he worried about how devastated she would be? But she knew that wasn't what Hiccup meant.

"I'm glad you understand that. Then you must understand why I'm so nervous about this. Hiccup, I trust you, but can we please do this rationally?" she asked, reaching out to run her hand over his.

"Of course! Sorry, it's just been so long since I was able to invent something. Maybe… maybe this can be an opportunity. How about we work on this together, like we used to. Once a week, in the cove. Just us and the dragons. It's where I learned to fly with Toothless, I'm sure we can do something like that again," he offered, grabbing her hand and squeezing tightly.

"I'd love to. Just… don't fill Thora's head with crazy ideas. We're having a hard time controlling her already, imagine if she could fly!" Astrid said, and Hiccup laughed hard.

"Alright then. Let me change back to my normal clothes and then we can start dinner. Oh, but first let me show you what I have so far! Look, this part is based on Toothless' tail-" he started explaining, but then rapid little footsteps approached again.

"Mommy, Daddy, are you done now? I wanna feed Stormfly! It's time for that, right? And after that, can we do axe throwing?" Thora asked, voice so quick Astrid had trouble following it, but she smiled anyway.

"Of course! How about we feed Stormfly together while Daddy makes dinner? Toothless, will you help him?" she said, standing up and ruffling her daughter's hair. Toothless warbled happily, before running up to Hiccup and licking his chest.

"Toothless, that doesn't wash out of leather! Come on, this stuff is brand new!" he grumbled, though the dragon could easily tell it wasn't very serious. Astrid smiled. This flight suit was still an insane idea, but… it did fit Hiccup in a way. It just needed some good old supervision from her.


	16. During Their Morning Rituals

**This one takes place when Thora is about 6 months old.**

* * *

Hiccup woke slowly. Unlike Astrid, who had the ability to jump out of bed full of energy, he needed a few minutes to collect himself.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled into the pillow when Astrid stirred next to him. "Don't go, you're warm and it's winter," he said when he realized she was moving out of bed. She had been spooning him, but he quickly turned over and held her.

"Can we stay in here forever?" he asked when she relented with a chuckle. He buried his face in her neck, and pulled her close. Her body was like a furnace to him, and they were squeezed together from toes to hair.

"Five more minutes. Thora will wake up soon. And we have to finish calculating the food rations, remember?" she sighed, not showing any sign of wanting to leave. They didn't talk for a while, lips meeting hungrily despite morning breath.

"This might take a little more than five minutes," Hiccup whispered when hands roamed under nightclothes. Astrid squeezed his butt, while he ran his fingers over swollen breasts. He still couldn't believe the miracle of Astrid breastfeeding. Her body nourished their child even after those difficult nine months. It awoke love in him, but also desire.

"I'm not complaining." Her chuckle turned into a gasp when he pinched her nipple. All memories of cold were washed away as he crawled on top of her, his fingers moving to pull her underwear off. He wanted her, he needed her, his body was aching for her-

"WAAAAAAAAH"

Hiccup froze, feeling like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him. It was a crazed duality where he still wanted her, was still hard and aching for her, but at the same time his daughter's wail demanded all his attention. Toothless' heavy footsteps ran into the room. The dragon was probably wondering why the parents were not dealing with the very loud crying baby.

"I'll get it. Can you start a fire and get breakfast going? We should still have some chicken from last night left," he grumbled, falling back onto his side of the bed. With the hot atmosphere gone he felt sticky and sweaty, but he didn't have time to get cleaned up. So he allowed himself two seconds to catch his breath before he reached for his prosthetic and put some pants on.

"Alright. It's still a little early for her to feed anyway," Astrid groaned, clearly unhappy with the interruption too.

Hiccup barely remembered to put his blindfold on before leaving the room and going to the kid's room. They found that little Thora was a bit too excitable to sleep with them. She woke from every single noise, and was unable to ignore anything they did. She was still screaming loudly when Hiccup walked in.

"There, there. Daddy's here. Now what's the matter? Did you miss me?" he asked, feeling around the cradle for the baby and gently picking her up once he found her.

It was a feeling he never got used to, even after months of doing it. The feeling of his child in his arms. She was so small and vulnerable and beautiful and amazing. He was both terrified of hurting her and humbled by her existence.

"Shh, shh, there now. _Hush, little Viking, don't you cry, or the Berserker's gonna stab you in the eye…_ " he sang softly, rocking her in his arms. Thora quickly quieted, apparently reassured by his presence. As he sang he smelled her, and decided she needed a change in diaper.

"Now, let's get you cleaned up," he said when her wails made way for soft hiccups. He quickly put her on the little changing table. This hadn't been easy the first few times, especially since he couldn't see, but now it was almost second nature. Take off her clothes, put it in the airtight wash box, wipe her down in a way he'd clean everything, and put a new diaper on. Thora fussed a lot while he moved, but didn't fight like she sometimes did.

"There you go, all cleaned up," he said as he picked her up again. He was about to move to the kitchen when Thora started kicking and squirming.

"What's wrong? Do you want to explore? Are you angry? Let's calm down a little first, okay?" Hiccup said as he sat down in the chair next to the cradle, and put her more firmly on his chest. She buried her face in his shirt, trembling a bit.

"There, there. It isn't easy being small, is it? Mommy will be done in the kitchen soon, and then you can eat. And then later today we'll visit Grandma Kirsten! She's probably going to sing lots of songs for you, isn't that nice?"

Hiccup rambled, though he softened his voice when she yawned. Moments later she fell asleep again. Her tiny breaths made him smile. How did he get so lucky?

For a second he felt utterly content. He had the love of his life as his wife, a dragon best friend, amazing friends, and now a child as well. Before Thora was born he hadn't understood how he would be able to love her like everyone told her he would. His heart already felt so full with love for Astrid and Toothless and his parents and everyone else, and he didn't want that to lessen.

But it was the complete opposite of that. The moment he held his daughter in his arms for the first time it was like his heart doubled in size, like she opened a reservoir of affection deep within him he had never known about.

And every time he held her he loved her more.

The only thing that could make him happier is if he could see her. Astrid had described her, of course. Apparently Thora had his nose, her mother's round face, and her grandfather's red hair. And according to Valka, she had Hiccup's green eyes too. He ran his fingers gently over her face and through her soft hair, trying to picture it in his head. Over the years the memories of colors and shapes had faded. He still remembered what green was, but not what kind of green his own eyes had been. He knew Astrid's face better than his own, knew exactly how it fit in his hands, but picturing it on this tiny baby was beyond him.

"Is something wrong in here? It's so quiet," Astrid said as she walked into the room, making him jump slightly. Thora groaned with the sudden movement.

"There's nothing wrong at all. I was just… thinking," he said, smiling. Astrid was quiet for a few seconds, and he wondered if she thought he was crazy.

"Well, breakfast is ready. And I bet this little girl is hungry too. You had to make her fall asleep again, didn't you? Now she'll be grumpy when I wake her up," she eventually said, oh-so-gently taking the baby from him. It was always a little scary when Thora disappeared into the blackness like that, but he knew Astrid would protect her.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you. You're her favorite," he said as he stood up and followed Astrid to the kitchen where the smell of bread and roast chicken awaited him.

"Oh, don't think like that. She loves your singing. I think you're always just a little more nervous with her, and she notices that. Isn't that right, Thora?" she said as the baby began to stir again. Astrid quickly moved up her shift to feed her. It made Hiccup smile, and he sat down behind his wife. She chuckled when he began braiding her hair. He did that nearly every morning now.

"You've gotten so good at this. Your hands are just so much faster and nimbler than mine. Thanks, babe!" Astrid sighed.

Thora was done feeding just around the same time Hiccup finished the braid, and Astrid put her down on the little carpeted area with her toys in the corner. For a second the baby cried out "Mama!", but then she noticed the wooden dragon and began playing with it. Giggles quickly replaced sniffles.

"So, what's the plan for today? I'm gonna take a quick flight, and then a bath after breakfast, and then we can work on those ration lists?" Hiccup offered. He sensed Astrid's nod.

"Sure! I'll do some laundry work while keeping an eye on Thora, and then when you're back I'll wash up quickly too. Mother will babysit Thora this afternoon, so we can focus on the rations then. And you know, if we get it done quickly, we might be able to continue this morning's… plans," she said, her voice turning to a whisper near the end. Hiccup could hear the smirk in it, though.

"You're insatiable. But that sounds like a good plan. We have enough food, so no need to go to the market today. And we don't have chief duties until this evening, so plenty of time," he said as he say down on reached for his plate. Astrid always put his breakfast in the same place. It was routine they adopted over the years they lived there. Where to put dishes, who'd clean when, what the locations were of all their tools. Especially Hiccup needed the routine. Astrid could adapt easier.

Thora's birth had thrown the house into a bit of chaos. She was fond of throwing her toys around where Hiccup would step on them, and her sleep was inconsistent at best, but Hiccup couldn't think of a better source of noise and surprise.

Astrid read a letter from Bog Island while eating with one hand, while Hiccup focused on eating with both hands. Toothless switched between keeping an eye on Thora and nudging Hiccup, eager for his flight. The dragon was perhaps having the most difficulty with the new baby. Of course he did his best as uncle, but often he didn't know how to handle a human child. Thora seemed intimidated by the black dragon, and shied away from playing with him.

She was more at ease with Stormfly, who had taken up her role as babysitter easily. Thora had a talent for sneaking away, even if Hiccup or Astrid was in the room. One moment she'd be playing happily with blocks or toys, and the next she'd be on the other side of the room without them noticing. Stormfly didn't let that happen however, gently biting the neck of her little shirt and carrying her back to the play carpet.

Of course, the fact that Thora thought this was a fun game only made her more determined to run off.

"Okay, I'm done eating. We can go flying now," Hiccup told Toothless, who responded with an eager warble. The dragon ran out immediately, but Hiccup couldn't go yet. He walked to the play area and knelt down.

"Bye, little girl. Daddy will be back in just an hour, okay? Be nice to Mommy and Stormfly until then," he said, ruffling his daughter's short hair.

"And bye to you too. Just a quick flight and bath, and then you can clean up too," he told Astrid, hugging her from behind where she was cleaning up the dishes.

"Of course. Love you," she said, and Hiccup kissed her cheek quickly before running out and jumping on Toothless.

Despite the joys of fatherhood, and the endless love between him and Astrid, Hiccup never got tired of flying with his best friend. That was still the best part of his morning.


	17. Spooning

**This drabble takes place about two years after they're married. Hiccup is 20, Astrid is 19 years old.**

* * *

It took a few seconds for Astrid to wake up. She he been dreaming about something she couldn't quite remember. Stormfly had been there, and she had turned into a Viking ship that Astrid had sailed to a new land in the west?

Details faded quickly, and Astrid became aware of her circumstances in the real world. She was cold. When they had gone to sleep, Hiccup had had his arms around him, and his chest was pressed against her back. Spooning, was what Ruffnut had called it. Since Hiccup was taller, he usually became big spoon. Besides, he always liked to cuddle and hold her, and she liked having him around her. They had been married for nearly two years now, she could admit such things without feeling embarrassed about it.

But now Hiccup wasn't holding her anymore. His right arm was still under her neck, but he was on his back behind her. He had also dragged the blankets with him, leaving her shivering.

It was still dark in the room. The middle of the night. The only light came from the full moon shining through their window. But it wasn't quiet. Hiccup was muttering and groaning behind her, and when his words finally pierced her sleepy mind her eyes opened wide.

"No, no, no. Not her, not her. It hurts, don't," he was repeating. When Astrid gently turned over she could see him sweating and squirming in the moonlight.

Another nightmare.

"Shh, Hiccup, it's okay. I'm here," she whispered, trying not to wake him up. If he woke up now he wouldn't go to sleep for the rest of the night, and be sickly and shivery for several days.

"There now. Roll over for me, okay?" Astrid said as she lifted his right arm and pushed him. He worked with her, sort of, though his muttering became louder.

"Astrid, where are you? It burns, it burns so bad."

His words broke her heart. Hiccup often talked in his sleep. Most of the time it was complete nonsense. _"The cabbages want to play."_ or _"Toothless turned into a campfire."_ Despite her teasing him about it the next day she found it utterly adorable. It gave her such an honest look in a mind that normally was always guarded, even from her. Sometimes secret confessions were uttered in his sleep. He'd mutter about how much he loves her, or Toothless. One time he had narrated a lengthy dream argument with his dad.

But these displays of his fears and traumas were not cute at all. Astrid hated hearing them. So she'd do her best to chase them away as quickly as she could.

When he was lying on his side, facing away from her, she put her arms and legs around him, letting him be little spoon. The blanket was pulled over them both, and she softly kissed the back of his neck.

"There, there. I'm here. Astrid's here. I'm holding you, and I'll never let you go. Just turn away from whatever's in your nightmare and focus on me," she whispered in his ear. He still didn't wake. Hiccup was a heavy sleeper who, despite his constant talking and moving, rarely woke up from anything. No wonder Toothless had resorted to pounding the roof to wake him for morning flights.

Astrid was a much lighter sleeper. Her father had trained her to always be ready for attacks or other disturbances. It had taken a lot of adjusting for her mind to handle sleeping in a bed with someone as restless as Hiccup. Now she just woke when he was talking especially loudly.

Hiccup shivered at her words. He shifted, pressing further into her embrace, and his throat produced a choked sob.

"It's okay. Rest now. You're safe. You're safe. I'm here," she kept whispering. Somewhere, some part of her words reached him. He shuddered and kept muttering, but slowly, ever so slowly he relaxed.

"Astrid. My pretty Astrid," he eventually said, lips curling into a smile. It made her smile as well. She had finally chased away whatever was hurting him in his nightmare. That smile, that slow breathing, her name on his lips, it was worth all the trouble.

These nightmares had become rarer since they got married, but they still happened every now and then. Still, Astrid was so proud of how much his mental health had improved over the past two years. He had become more confident, and much less susceptible to dark days.

She wondered why that was. Maybe it was because she caught warning signs, like his nightmares, early and worked to deal with the problem at its root. Maybe it was the new, safer environment in their new home, designed around his disabilities. Maybe it was just him growing out of puberty and becoming a true adult. Maybe his dad's chiefing lessons were finally paying off and making him more confident.

Who knows, maybe it was because she slept in his bed now, and he was always reassured that she was there for him. Maybe it was the other activities they did in this bed (and elsewhere) that relaxed and calmed him. He always did become very mellow and content after making love.

Maybe it was the fact that dragons became more and more integrated and accepted on Berk. Nothing made Hiccup happier than working with dragons, or knowing that other people got along with dragons too.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was the knowledge that a child was growing inside her. When she first told Hiccup he had freaked out. He had kept saying he had no idea how to be a father, that all he knew was the kind of father he _didn't_ want to be. But when the shock passed and the idea was able to settle, he had become active and excited, preparing a nursery room, making toys and clothes, and designing special cradles and tiny saddles, and more.

Perhaps it somehow forced him to be stronger, to be better, so his child would be able to rely on him no matter what.

Maybe it was a combination of all those things. Either way, Astrid pulled Hiccup as close as she could, her pregnant belly between them, and whispered words of love in his ear. Sleep started grasping at her again, making her eyelids heavy and thinking slow.

Hiccup would probably not remember this in the morning, and she was happy for that. He had enough going on in that crazy head of his. As her eyes closed, she wondered what he was dreaming now. Whatever it was, she was sure it was nice, given his contented sighs.


	18. Doing Something Together

**It's been a while since i updated this, and I'm sorry for that. Got distracted with The Dragon Prince and HTTYD3 coming out. I am going to try to finish all prompts this month.**

 **I hate to sound needy or whatever, but comments and reviews really help keep my motivation up. It's hard to keep writing these drabbles when it feels like no one cares about them. So please, if you enjoy it, take half a minute and tell me how you feel about this story =)**

 **This chapter takes place a month after the events of Black as Night, when Hiccstrid's romantic relationship is still young.**

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Astrid wanted to scream in frustration. Her hands hurt, her fingers hurt, her _scars_ hurt even more. It wasn't right. She was supposed to be healed already. It had been nearly two months since that horrible day on Dragon Island where she pulled the searing hot metal from Hiccup's foot, and even now she could still feel the fire in her hands.

She wondered if that was how Hiccup's leg felt. Or his eyes. But she didn't dare ask. The memories were still too fresh.

There were other memories too, of before, when her mother taught her how to sew clothes. Astrid had never been good at it as such, but today, picking it up for the first time in months, she felt like a baby who could barely control her hands.

Her fingers twitched and stiffened, the white scar tissue that snaked from the palm up to her fingertips spreading poison like Jormundgandr. It felt like the disgusting lines strangled her fingers, controlling them and turning them into useless thralls. Her thumb, the most damaged finger, contracted involuntarily, and the needle fell to the floor with a soft 'ping'. The melodic sound made her want to cry.

But she was a strong warrior, she wouldn't cry over something so stupid. It'd get better, that's what everyone kept saying. The scars were just on the skin, her muscles shouldn't have been affected.

Maybe it was all in her head, like Hiccup's phantom pains. Maybe it was her fear of losing her hands that made her actually lose her hands.

"Are you okay, love?" Kirsten said suddenly, and Astrid's head whipped up to see her mother standing right next to the chair she was sitting in.

"I'm fine," she muttered, picking up the needle again and avoiding her mother's eyes. She wouldn't understand.

"Are you sure? It's okay if you need a reminder of how to sew. It's not easy, and you haven't done it in a long time. We can do it together if you want," Kirsten said, pulling the other chair closer and sitting down.

"No, it's not that. I know how to do it. It's just… actually doing it is harder," she said, grabbing the yarn and trying to push the thread through the eye of the needle. Her hands shook, and she nearly dropped the needle again.

"Alright then. I'll just let you get to it then, and I'll get some more sewing supplies for myself. If you need anything at all I'll be at the marketplace, okay? And when I get back we can sew together!" Kirsten said, standing up again and pressing a kiss to her forehead. It made Astrid smile involuntarily.

Finally she managed to get the yarn through the needle as her mother opened the door to leave.

"Oh, Hiccup! Didn't expect you here. What a nice surprise!" Kirsten said, and Astrid's head whipped up to see her boyfriend standing awkwardly outside. One of his hands was raised, he had probably been about to knock.

"Hello, Mrs. Hofferson, hi! Uhm, is Astrid here?" he asked. One part of Astrid wanted to drop her sewing and just run over to greet him. But something inside her wanted to observe him, watch his movements and mannerisms when he didn't know she was there. It gave her a rare insight into his mind.

"Oh yes, she's inside, stabbing wool with her needles like it's a training dummy. Why don't you come in? I'm going to the market for a while, but I trust you two will be fine for a couple hours," Kirsten said, all but pulling the boy inside. Hiccup tripped on the threshold, but managed to recover before falling completely. It made her smile to see him improving so much. It had only been a month since he woke up without a leg, and he had come a long way since then.

"Alright, I promise I won't burn the house down," Hiccup chuckled, reaching his hand out to Toothless, who was sticking his head through the doorway. "You'll be careful, won't you, Toothless? No dragonfire inside houses, remember?"

Her mother, however, froze for a second at his words.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't joke about dragonfire in my house. Or around me or Tolfdir in general," she slowly said, walking out.

"Oh. I, uh, I'm sorry. I'll keep that in mind. Won't happen again!" Hiccup seemed to understand that this was not something he was supposed to ask about. Astrid didn't even know why her parents were so touchy about that subject. They sometimes hinted that their house had burned down long ago, before Astrid was even born, but she didn't understand why that affected them so much. Everyone on Berk had had their house burned down at some point, so what made her parents different?

"Astrid? You in here?" Hiccup called after the door shut, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Right here. Come in, I need moral support. My mother is making me sew again! It's the worst!" she shouted. Her hands didn't hurt so much anymore now that he was here.

"Oooookay. Not sure how helpful I'll be there, but I'll try. Come on, Toothless," Hiccup said, opening the door again to let his dragon in. Astrid jumped up in alarm. The yarn and needles fell to the floor.

"No no no no! No dragons in the house. My father would completely freak. Not kidding," she said, sighing when Hiccup's face fell. "Oh, don't make me feel like the bad guy here! I know Toothless is well-behaved… mostly. They don't let Stormfly inside either. Why don't you let him play with her. She's around the back, in her stable!" she said, gently pushing Toothless back outside.

The dragon looked annoyed at being separated from Hiccup, but perked up at the mention of Stormfly. Hiccup sighed, but eventually urged him to join the other dragon.

"Look, this just gives us some alone time! Come in, have a seat! Want something to drink?" she quickly said before Hiccup could get swamped in dark thoughts. Oh dear, this was pretty much the first time since the battle that they were truly alone. They had been basically boyfriend and girlfriend for a month now, though they hadn't really made it official yet. But despite all their time spent together, it was rarely private. Stoick would be there when Hiccup was relearning how to walk, and Gobber was always in the forge when she helped there. She would have liked to fly to distant islands with Hiccup, but his dad wouldn't allow that yet. His leg was far from healed.

"Oh, uhm, water is fine. Where's the chair?" Hiccup asked, carefully walking into the living room.

She guided him to the chair, then quickly ran outside to fill a mug with water from the rain barrel. While there, she glanced around the corner to see Toothless and Stormfly play-wrestle together. The sight made her smile.

"Here you go!" Astrid said as she handed the mug to Hiccup. "So, no forge work for you today?"

"No, we're out of coal. The shipment is late, so I'm free until we get more. How about you? Is this sewing stuff for someone in particular, or…" he awkwardly asked, making her blush. She knew he didn't mind, but it was always a little painful to be reminded that she nor her parents had truly steady jobs, and would take any work they could find to earn some extra money. That often included washing and repairing clothes for her mother, and construction work for her father.

"No, just… practice. Mother says that I need to learn 'so my future husband won't have to walk around naked!'" Astrid said, imitating her mother's voice. "Apparently he'd just be totally helpless and incapable of mending his own socks?"

Hiccup laughed, though she could see him frown under the blindfold as well. Was he thinking about himself as that future husband?

"Yeah, that's stupid. It's like cooking. Remember how I had to teach you to cook? Everyone expects it to be the other way around, but that doesn't have to be," he chuckled, taking a big gulp of water as Astrid picked up the yarn and needles again.

"True, but my mother still wants me to learn. And maybe she's right. Knowledge is always better than no knowledge," she eventually said. "Doesn't mean it isn't hard, though."

"Hmm, so the great Messenger of Thor, the prodigy of Berk, the greatest warrior in a generation, can't beat a ball of wool?" Hiccup teased, but she could sense the admiration underneath the sarcasm. It made her blush, and not for the first time she was glad he couldn't see that.

"You try it then, if you think it's easy! You know what, how about we make it a competition! The first to sew a patch of say, five inches by 4 inches wins," she offered, grabbing another ball of yarn and throwing it into Hiccup's lap. He nearly dropped his mug at the shock.

"Do you have to make everything a competition?" he exclaimed, but still picked up the yarn. Astrid grabbed his hand and put a needle in it.

"3… 2… 1… Go!" she said, before Hiccup could even begin to protest.

"Wait, wait, I've never started from scratch before! I've just mended torn clothes! Astrid!" he shouted, and she just chuckled.

"Better learn quickly then," she said, moving to push her thread through the eye of the needle.

"I… uh… okay… " Hiccup didn't look very okay, but he did manage to get his thread in that needle in less than a second while she was still trying to even grab the yarn correctly between her thumb and index finger. Her hand started aching again, and she tried not to groan. She was not gonna lose to Hiccup on this.

In the corner of her eye she saw Hiccup awkwardly try to tie the wool around itself, but she couldn't focus on it. Her fingers started shaking. The wool dropped to her lap, and she had to pick it up again, shifting her needle to her other hand. Maybe her left hand would be steadier.

It was no use. The more she tried, the more the needle shook, and the more frayed the thread became. Her vision became blurry and her jaw ached from how much she was clenching it.

"Astrid? Astrid! Astrid! Are you okay?" it took a minute before she realized Hiccup was kneeling right next to her chair, his hand on her elbow. Her breathing was shallow and quick. She blinked a few times to wipe the tears away. Why had she been crying? What happened?

"What?" she somehow managed to say.

"You got so quiet, you wouldn't talk, and your arm… it was shaking so much. What happened?" Hiccup rambled, clenching her arm. The needle fell in her lap. The ball of yarn followed, bouncing off to the floor and leaving a white thread where it had gone.

"I… I… I just… I'm okay. Don't worry about it," she said, shaking her head.

"How can I not worry! Something's wrong! Do I need to get your mom?" he shouted, barely holding it together.

"No, no, I'm just…" Astrid wanted to tell him she was fine, that it was nothing, that her hands didn't hurt and that she could do something as simple as sewing. But then she looked at him, at his blindfold and his metal leg, and she somehow knew he would understand.

"I can't do it. I can't sew. My hands hurt too much. It's the burns. It's stupid, it should all be healed by now, Gothi said it shouldn't affect my movement at all, but it still does! And I feel so damn useless! If I can't hold a needle, then can I even still hold an axe? I just-"

That's when Hiccup grabbed her hands in his, awkwardly rubbing his fingers over the back of them.

"Astrid, it's gonna be okay. We'll figure it out, okay? I don't think any less of you," he slowly said, and she knew every word was true.

"Oh, Hiccup," was all that she was able to say before sobs racked her body. She tried to pull her hands back, wanted to wipe her face and pretend she wasn't crying, but Hiccup moved too fast for that. He pulled her into a tight hug, and she nearly fell out of her chair. Her face was buried in his neck. His shirt was soft and warm, even as it absorbed her tears. Hiccup just rubbed her back, murmuring comforts in her ear.

Her hands were hovering behind his back, and then they were suddenly grabbing that soft shirt with all her strength. Her fingers still hurt, but it was almost like that stupid shirt was sucking away the pain.

Hiccup let her ride out the emotions, never showing any sign of disgust. She could tell he was nervous, but that was to be expected, she supposed. This was the first time he had initiated any physical contact.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked when her sobs stopped and she pulled back a bit.

"What did I do to deserve you?" Astrid blurted out, resisting the urge to punch him as punishment for inflicting all these _feelings_ on her.

"I ask myself the same thing every day," he said, before ducking his blushing head. She gently grabbed it in her scarred hands.

"Thank you. For being here. For understanding."

"It's nothing. You've done the same thing for me for months," he whispered, looking small and vulnerable. It made her smile. Her white scars contrasted with his red blush, and she gently rubbed her thumb over his cheek.

"I'm sorry this wasn't very… Viking-like," she eventually said, and he chuckled.

"I'm just glad I'm not the bad Viking today. But seriously… these injuries… they hurt. I know that, you know that, even if the rest of the village doesn't. So you can always tell me. And we'll help each other. I can help with the sewing. Here, let me just ready the needle and thread for you," he said, leaving her grasp to feel the floor. She quickly handed the items to him.

Astrid watched in fascination as he handled the needle and thread. His fingers were so precise and gentle. She supposed he had to rely on them a lot more with his blindness, but it was still amazing to see.

"How about you hold the needle, and I tell you how to move?" she said, putting her hands over his. His skin was cool against her scars, and it eased the pain.

"Okay," Hiccup awkwardly said, getting nervous again. She rolled her eyes at his unnecessary worrying before nudging his hands.

"So you start out with this central thread you weave these side threads into. That's gonna be the basis of our cloth," she said, holding his thumb and guiding the wool around a finger on his other hand. "Careful you don't prick yourself. Mother doesn't want any blood on this wool."

Hiccup let her guide his hands, though he took over when a new piece of wool had to go through the needle, or the thread had to go under or over another thread in a way her fingers simply couldn't do.

And so hours passed, and neither of them noticed the door silently opening. Kirsten peeked around the door, suppressing her laugh when she saw their hands working together to create one pattern.

"Just like the Norns weaving the tapestry of fate," she whispered to herself, quietly putting the bag of groceries inside before leaving the house as silently as she entered. Those kids deserved some more time to themselves to do something together, just the two of them.


	19. In Formal Wear

**Another one with the kids! This one takes place when Thora is 12, and Clay is 10. Hiccup and Astrid are in their early thirties.**

 **Also, thank you very much for the reviews and comments! They help a lot in getting me to write this!**

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"But Mooooooooom! I don't like this dress! It's so itchy and frilly!" Thora shouted, and Hiccup involuntarily smiled. His little girl was so much like her mother.

Still, she would have to wear the dress for a few hours. It was expected for such an occasion. Hiccup had often wished he could see his family, and although he knew that he never would, that didn't mean he didn't want as many other people as possible to see how amazing they were. Even people dozens or hundreds of years from now.

"Come on, Thora. It's just for today. Don't you want to look pretty?" he asked, kneeling to get little Nadder, Quickclaw, screeched and flapped his wings, flying right past Hiccup's face to land on Thora's shoulder where he often perched. Honestly the dragon was getting too big and heavy for it, but Thora insisted she could still carry him.

"What's wrong with my normal clothes? They're comfy! Who cares about looking pretty if I can't breathe in this?!" she said loudly, and Astrid sighed, her knees hitting the floor with a soft thud.

"Oh, it's not that bad. It's a very roomy dress. Look, I get how you feel. I don't like long dresses or frilly stuff either. But when people hundreds of years from now look at our portrait, do you really want them to see you covered in mud and in torn clothes? You still look strong in this outfit. Even more so, I'd say. Look, the bare sleeves show off your muscled arms!" Astrid laughed.

"I don't look strong despite this fancy outfit. And I have to have big puffy pants to hide my cast. At least when people look at you they see someone who can stand on their own," Claybones muttered from his nearby chair. Hiccup frowned as he turned towards his son. The boy had just turned 10, and was getting moodier and moodier. At least he wasn't complaining too much about today's activities.

"Yeah, but you're not the future chief. People won't care about how you look," Thora shot back, and Astrid sighed. Clay's dragon, a Woolly Howl hatchling called Thinker, growled from his spot on the young boy's lap. Quickclaw screeched back, leading to Hiccup quickly jumping in between.

"That's enough, both of you. None of us are perfect, and the goal isn't to look perfect. The goal is to simply record the people we are right now," he said, hoping to defuse an argument before it started.

Thora and Clay had been very hostile towards each other lately. Hiccup suspected Thora was taking out the stress she got from puberty and the pressure of being the heir on her little brother who didn't have as many responsibilities, while Clay was hurting from an increasingly broken body. They hadn't really talked about it openly yet, but it was becoming clear that the dozens of fractures over the years were weakening his limbs. His legs were misshapen from all those splints and hastily set bones, and could bear less weight even when the fractures were healed. He was completely unable to run by now, and would often use a crutch while walking.

It was only late at night that he whispered about his fears with Astrid, talking about when his boy would have to use a wheelchair permanently.

Hiccup wondered if Clay knew about it. It was almost scary how perceptive and smart the quiet boy was. Unlike his father, however, he applied his intellect to observing people, learning secrets and mannerisms, figuring out their hopes and fears just by looking at them. So it was difficult to hide their worry from him.

Thora was the opposite, always rushing headlong into any situation without bothering to wait and observe. She'd take charge, assuming she knew what was best for everyone, but always somewhat aware of the village's eye on her.

"I still hate this dress," Thora muttered, and Clay scoffed but didn't respond otherwise. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"That'll be Grandma Kirsten. And look, kids, I hate my dress too. And I'm sure your father isn't a big fan of his outfit either. That armor is heavy!" Astrid said, standing up again and walking to the front door.

"She's right. Look, sometimes we have to do things we don't like in the moment, but that'll pay off for the rest of your lives. I never had a portrait like this with my parents. Just the one traditional coming-of-age one with my dad. Because of that painting, and I might add that the process of making it was very painful and involved a fight with Alvin the Treacherous, you two can see what your grandfather looked like. And what I looked like as a kid. But you'll never be able to see your grandma Valka again, because there is no portrait of her," Hiccup said as Astrid opened the door for her mother.

"So if you want to show your kids, or even your grandkids one day, what we looked like and where you came from, I'd suggest you stop complaining and get ready for the painter. He came all the way from London, you know," Hiccup's tone was harsher than he normally used with his children, but he didn't want them to miss the opportunities he never had.

"Exactly. There's no portrait of your Grandpa Tolfdir either. Nor of me, that's why I'm here today. And I know your father doesn't like to talk about it, but keep in mind that he will never be able to see this portrait, just like he can't see the portrait he made with Stoick. He knows better than anyone how important being able to see other people is. So you might want to think about that," Kirsten added, pushing a silk tunic in his hands.

Both the children went quiet at that. Knowing Kirsten would watch them, Hiccup went to the bedroom with Astrid to change.

"I'm sorry they're being difficult," Astrid said, and he sighed, taking off his regular shirt to put on the fine tunic.

"No, they're just… growing up. It's not easy being that age. But at least they're getting more opportunities and chances than we did. Even if they don't always understand why," he said as Astrid put his chestplate on him and latched the straps around his arms.

"You're always so understanding. I love them always with all my heart, but some days I don't… like them very much, you know? But then they smile and play and talk and I instantly forgive them," she whispered.

"And that's why we're doing this. So those smiles will be immortalized forever," he said, putting on his ridiculous silver vambraces.

"Exactly. So let's get back there before they start another fight," Astrid chuckled, fiddling with his armor for a bit before leaving the room again. Hiccup smiled, following.

"And so the prince and princess of France stood together as the evil warlord approached!" Kirsten was in the middle of a story when there was another knock on the door.

"Ah, that'll be the painter. Get ready everyone! Dragons as well!" Hiccup said, walking to the door and letting the man in. "Welcome, Master Frost. I hope we'll all fit on the canvas!"

Mr. Frost hesitated for a moment, but then Toothless and Stormfly pushed him inside in their eagerness to join the family. A yelp escaped the man, though at least he didn't run. Better than some dignitaries Hiccup had met.

"Uhhhm, let's see how we'll do this. Alright, boy, girl, you at the front. Chief Haddock, behind the girl please, and the Lady Astrid behind the boy's chair. Ah, Lady Kirsten, it's so good to see you again! You will be joining the picture as well? Next to Astrid would work best, probably," the painter said, fussing over them when they moved into position. Hiccup's hands on Thora's shoulders, Astrid's axe visible next to the chair, Claybones sitting up a little straighter.

"And finally the dragons! This is Toothless, right? He can go next to the chief, and this beautiful Nadder can join the equally beautiful lady. And of course, these little dragons shall join the children. That one on the boy's lap, that'll make him blend in well with the cloth, but still be noticable for the keen observer! Oh, and the little nadder curled around the young lady's neck? Ah yes, very fierce! The yellow hide works well with this red cloth! Now, just hold still!"

Hiccup did his best to keep smiling despite his daughter's dragon's claws gripping his hands. Just a minute in and he could already tell Thora was getting anxious, so he tried to squeeze her shoulders reassuringly.

Toothless crooned at one point, rubbing his face against Hiccup's side and earning himself a light scolding from the painter, but mostly the dragons and people were all on their best behavior.

"How does it look?" Hiccup asked Mr. Frost when they stopped for a break, stepping around the canvas he couldn't see.

"Oh, you have a lovely family, sir. Though I could tell the girl was getting… annoyed. Hence the break. But my sketches are all done, and now I can start the base layer of paint. After that I can finish it on my own, so you won't have to pose anymore," he said, and Hiccup nodded. Faint shouts came in through the window from where Thora was running around the house with Quickclaw.

"What kinds of paint do you use? This red is richer than anything I've managed to mix," Clay asked, the click of his clutches accompanying every step.

Hiccup stepped back a bit to let his son talk to the painter. Clay had been discovering a talent for art over the last few years, and he would often spend entire days drawing and painting. Hiccup just wished he could see what it was. His son always became defensive when he asked, so he decided not to push too much.

"You okay?" Astrid softly asked, sitting down next to him and grabbing his hand.

"Yeah, just… thinking about how happy I am we got to do this today. And how lucky I am with the family I have," he whispered with a smile.

"We are. Even if I sometimes want to scream in frustration at them," Astrid chuckled. As they spoke, Thora ran back inside, and Clay wrote down everything the painter explained about his process. Hiccup could almost picture in his head what the scene looked like. It stung that he would never see the ones he loved so much, but this portrait was close enough.

Even if they had to wear these awful outfits for it.


	20. Dancing

Sorry I'm so slow on these updates. I promise I will finish this series.

 **This one takes place two months after the wedding.**

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"I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er a fear of drowning," Hiccup heard his father's booming voice drifting outside as he and Astrid walked closer. Ever since they got married and went to live in their own house Stoick and Valka had been living here on their own, so Hiccup wasn't too surprised they were getting closer again.

"Ooh, that's our song. Remember our wedding night?" Astrid said, skipping a step next to him. He suspected she did some dance move, but couldn't be sure.

"That part sucked. But the song did… salvage it," Hiccup chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek as they walked up to the front door. Stormfly chirped curiously, and Toothless answered with a warble.

"Yup! I'm glad your parents like it too!" she said, opening the door and walking in with no warning.

"I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry, I only want your hand…" Valka's voice was clear and happy, interspersed with her feet hitting the floor at rhythmic intervals. She was clearly dancing, but then her voice quieted, along with her body. Had she noticed them come in?

"Oh, don't mind us! Keep going! It's great to watch!" Astrid shouted, pulling Hiccup along to a chair and making him sit down. He considered making a sarcastic joke about the fact that he couldn't watch it, but decided not to break the happy mood in the room. The dragons stayed outside. Stormfly wasn't comfortable in most houses.

"Well… alright then… I only want your hand to hold," Valka sung again, her feet joining in near the end.

"I only want you near me!" Stoick joined in, and then they were off in their own world again. Astrid clapped along to the singing, clearly enraptured by the performance, and Hiccup felt a little awkward. He always felt conflicted about music. It made his heart spin, but at the same time it distracted his mind and confused his limbs, leading to him stumbling and getting lost.

And don't even get him started on dancing, where his skills were somewhere between painful to watch and "dangerous for anyone on the same dance floor".

So Hiccup couldn't help but feel a tinge of pain at Astrid being so… happy at experiencing music and dancing. He couldn't give her that. Not like she deserved.

No no no, these were the bad thoughts they were trying to get him to stop thinking! Stop it, Hiccup! She loves you, even if you're blind and can't do everything other people can! You know that's true!

But no matter how hard he tried to remember that, it still stung.

The song was reaching its climax, his father's heavy footsteps that made the house shake lacing around his mother's light jumps, faster and faster and faster. Astrid kept clapping along, and he could feel her excitement radiate from her.

"If you would marry meeeeeeeeeee!" Stoick and Valka finished, drawing out the last note before suddenly smothering it in a wet sucking noise. Astrid's slight noise of disgust made him suspect the dancing was devolving into making out. He loudly scraped his throat, hoping to remind them of their audience.

It took a few scrapes, but eventually his parents separated, though he was sure they were still giving each other lovesick glances. For a second he felt a searing jealousy: Why could they look at each other like that when he could never look at Astrid? But he forced himself to stop thinking that. Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts.

"For someone who lived away from Berk for 18 years you're an amazing dancer, Valka!" Astrid said, jumping up and buzzing with energy.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm starting to feel my age, though Stoick does make me feel young again. This was the song we danced to at our wedding. Remember that, love?" Valka said. Hiccup heard her clothes shift as she turned to his father.

"Like it was yesterday."

"Can you teach us that dance? I want to be able to dance like that with Hiccup 20 years from now!" Astrid said happily, and Hiccup nearly fell off his chair in shock.

"Uhhhhhh" was the smartest thing his brain could produce, and it clearly didn't convince his parents of his concerns. Stoick just grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to his feet like he weighed nothing. Hiccup felt like he was 12 again, being pushed around by the adults while pining for Astrid, knowing deep down he could never do what she'd truly found impressive.

No, bad thoughts! Stop doubting yourself, Hiccup!

"It'll be fun, Hiccup! Come on!" Astrid said, grabbing his arms and putting them on her hips in a way that would have given 12-year old Hiccup a heart attack. Hell, it nearly gave current Hiccup a heart attack. Despite having been married to this woman for two months now, and having been her boyfriend for years longer, there were still moments where he couldn't quite believe Astrid Hofferson ('now Haddock!' he thought with a shiver running down his spine) wanted his hands on her.

"But… " he couldn't finish the sentence, not knowing what he was trying to say or what his objection was. His body slumped, and his cheeks burned with shame.

Astrid was silent and still for a few seconds, apparently assessing whether he was okay and not about to have a panic attack. "It's okay. We can stop whenever you want to," she whispered. Stoick huffed, but tried to hide it as a cough. It only made Hiccup want to sink through the floor more.

But Astrid was counting on him, asking him to dance with her. Her hands on his shoulders squeezed him gently, and he slowly nodded.

"Alright then… with the first lyric you'll want to circle around each other like this," Valka took Astrid's arms and guided her through some kind of step, and then did the same thing with Hiccup. He stumbled, but managed the awkward side-step on his second try. Astrid was quiet, but he could almost see her smile at him. It made up for his father's burning stare.

"So this circling keeps up through the whole song, with variations. You'll switch directions, grab each other, go faster or slower, but this is the basis. So during the entire first part where you're singing, Hiccup, you'll circle like this but not touch yet. Each line you switch directions. Go on, try it!" Valka said, stepping back. It took a second of awkward silence before Hiccup realized he was supposed to sing.

"Right… I, uhhh, I'll swim and sail on savage seas," he more recited than sang, trying not to fall as he went through the steps. Somewhere right in front of him Astrid mirrored his movements, but at the same time it was like she was a million miles away. Why did he have to start singing?

"With ne'er a fear- OW!" he suddenly bumped into Astrid, jerking away from her and falling backwards.

"Oh, that counted as a new line, so you were supposed to switch directions, Hiccup. With the sun instead of against the sun," Valka said as Stoick pulled him back to his feet with no apparent effort. For a second Hiccup considered calling it all off, but then he sensed Astrid bouncing back to her feet with so much excitement, and he couldn't let her down.

They went through the first line again, without bumping into each other this time. It continued like that for the first few slow lines, them circling without touching, until Astrid's first line.

"Alright, now you put your wrists together like this," Valka said, gently moving their hands until their arms brushed against each other. It felt weird and unnatural, and all Hiccup wanted to do was just grab her hand for real. But then she started singing and he had to dance with her.

"My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me…"

It took a few tries before he got the switches right. He kept swatting her hand away accidentally. One time he nearly punched himself in the face when her arm wasn't where he expected it.

"Now your line, Hiccup. During it you're gonna face each other, hold hands, and put your legs forward and back like this, interlocking. Astrid's foot on that side goes forward, yours goes back at the same time, and vice versa," Valka explained as Stoick chuckled, and Hiccup didn't feel ready when Astrid grabbed his hands.

"Ready? We can take it slow," Astrid whispered, and he nodded.

"But I would bring you rings of gold," he said slowly, moving his feet and hoping Astrid would follow his lead. He wasn't completely sure she did, but at least he didn't stomp on her toes.

"Well done! Now, Hiccup, you're gonna go on one knee, and Astrid will dance around you…" Valka instructed.

Over the next hour they went through the entire song, and slowly Hiccup's confidence increased as his steps became surer. He wouldn't call himself a good dancer by any stretch, and he was sure Astrid's toes ached from how often he stepped on them, but it didn't turn into the disaster he expected.

"-If you would marry me!" they finished the song once again, Astrid pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Thank you for this," she whispered in his ear. He nodded, squeezing her tightly.

"Thor's beard! Look outside!" Stoick shouted, opening the door. Vibrations and stomping that before had just been background noise suddenly became overwhelming. Hiccup had thought it was simply dragons walking around outside, maybe Toothless and Stormfly playing.

"They're… They're dancing! I think they're mimicking the dance!" Valka said. The entire family moved outside, Hiccup still not quite sure what was happening.

"Toothless and Stormfly are?" he asked, barely audible over their rapid stomps and growls. Now that he was paying attention, he could vaguely recognize the melody in it.

"Yeah… They're doing the circling, and pushing their wings together like we do with our arms," Astrid said, amazement clear in her voice.

"Wow. Sounds like we shouldn't let them do that indoors, though," Hiccup chuckled. Stormfly let out a loud screech and dug her talons deep in the earth as Toothless jumped around her.

"I think they need some more dancing lessons, though. And so do you kids!" Valka said, ruffling Hiccup's hair.

"Oh, alright. Can it wait until tomorrow though? My feet hurt. Even the missing one," he said, shifting his weight trying to find a more comfortable stance.

But then Astrid grabbed his hand, and it was all worth it.

"This is what you used to say about combat training, and look how far you've come with that," she whispered, squeezing his hand and drawing a little heart with her finger. His first instinct was to duck his head and hide, but he forced himself to remember the fun they just had.

Don't think the bad thoughts. Good thoughts instead. Astrid is happy and proud. He felt good.

And with the dragons still dancing away, and Astrid's hand squeezing his, those good thoughts were suddenly very easy to think.


	21. Baking-Cooking

"Alright, that's the house all cleaned and the presents wrapped. Now all that's left is to bake the birthday cake!" Astrid said happily, putting a ribbon around the wrapped toy they bought for Thora's third birthday.

"And we still have the entire afternoon for that! Incredible how much more productive we become when we don't have to stop Thora from sneaking off every five minutes," Hiccup chuckled, making her laugh. It was very true. She loved Thora so much, but she was so exhausting to look after sometimes. Little Claybones was much calmer, and more importantly, more stationary. The baby was much less prone to crawling away than his sister was, and not just because of his fragile bones. The boy had stayed in the little carpeted play corner the entire morning, happily playing with wooden toys for hours on end.

Thora on the other hand wouldn't stay still for five minutes.

So it was nice that her parents offered to babysit her for most of the day as they prepared her birthday party. It wasn't much, just their family really, but it was the first time Thora could really comprehend what a birthday was, so they wanted to make it special.

And that includes a birthday cake! Astrid had fond memories of her mother making delicious sugary cakes for her birthdays, and she wanted her daughter to experience the same joy.

"Uhm, Astrid? You know how to bake a cake, right? I just learned to cook meals. Dad wasn't big on cakes. 'Real Vikings don't waste their valuable food on candy!' he'd always say," Hiccup said, imitating his father's booming voice.

"Sure I do! I watched my mother make dozens of cakes! How hard could it be?" she said, opening the larder and looking through their food supplies. Despite her outward confidence she suddenly felt doubtful. What had her mother used in those cakes?

"Let's see… milk, eggs, flour, sugar of course," she said, grabbing large amounts of those and putting them on the kitchen table. It felt like there were missing things, but as she looked through the larder Astrid wasn't sure what.

"So do we just mix this together and heat it up?" Hiccup asked, clearly having doubts about this, but Astrid wasn't about to give up so soon.

"Basically. It always looked easy when my mother did it, so I'm sure we can figure it out," she said, grabbing a bowl and pouring some milk in, before breaking an egg and mixing it with the milk.

"Large cup of flour, and then some sugar, that should do it, I think," Astrid said as she added the ingredients. The nagging feeling in the back of her head that she was forgetting something was getting stronger, but she ignored it.

Hiccup looked skeptical, but didn't get a chance to voice his doubts when Clay's tower of wooden blocks collapsed with a loud clatter, causing the baby to burst into a screaming wail.

"Oh, it's okay, it's okay. We can rebuild it," he said, running over and grabbing his son, cradling him to his chest. "No broken bones, right?" he asked her as much as he asked the baby, and she quickly reassured him everything was fine. He still looked a little sick and nervous, but Clay was calming down quickly.

As Hiccup comforted the baby Astrid poured the cake mix into their new baking mold, a Snoggletog gift from her mother, and put it in their little fireplace.

"Alright, now we wait," she said as Clay went back to his toys with a happy giggle.

* * *

"Uhm, I don't think it's supposed to have this texture," Hiccup said as he poked the 'cake' with his finger.

"It rose a lot more than I expected. Too much flour?" Astrid asked, scooping up the bits of dough that had fallen out of the mold. "Oh wow, it's bone dry as well."

"I guess more water, mostly? Maybe that'll stabilize the flour and yeast?" he said, grabbing a bucket and walking outside to the rain barrel. Astrid sighed deeply, before cleaning out the mold and starting over. Surely this was just a bit of bad luck. The next one would be much better.

* * *

The next one was not, in fact, any better.

"I think the center has collapsed. It's just a hollow circle now. How did that happen, I felt like I mixed everything well? Maybe it needs some more solid ingredients," Astrid said, grabbing a small piece of cheese from the larder. That would add a bit of oomph. And maybe make it taste slightly better.

Hiccup seemed worried as he rocked an agitated Claybones in his arms. He kept turning to the door, and she knew he was worried about their time running out.

"Come on, we still have most of the afternoon!" she told him, making another mix.

* * *

"Wow. That's an interesting flavor. I think the outside is burned while the inside is just… raw. Astrid, you should taste this. Raw cheese mixed with molten cheese is actually pretty good!" Hiccup said as he licked his fingers, and she resisted the urge to slap those fingers away. They were baking a cake, not making some cheese sauce!

"Alright, more flour, and maybe some fruit? Mother added apples occasionally," she said, trying not to reveal her frustration. Hiccup frowned, but didn't argue against it.

* * *

"Are you sure we shouldn't ask for help? You know my mom- You know what, forget my mom, she can't bake either. How about we ask my dad? Or one of the other riders. I'm sure Fishlegs knows how to bake a cake!" Hiccup said, voice a little muffled from the hand keeping his nose shut. It seems he didn't appreciate the… fragrance that filled the room when she opened the oven this time. Note to self, baked strawberries are pretty gross.

Claybones started crying, throwing his blocks away and covering his face, and she was glad that at least Thora wasn't here to see (or smell) this.

"No, it's just a cake! I can do this!"

* * *

"Astrid. You know I love you so much, more than I have words for. You are the light of my life. And that's exactly why I need to be honest with you. This is inedible and would poison our daughter if we serve her this," Hiccup said after a single bite of the new… product. It felt like with each try, with each new ingredient she added to compensate for a problem the cake just went closer to Jormundgandr's venom than a sweet dessert.

"I don't understand! I watched my mother make a hundred of these! And she never messed them up! They always came out perfect! I just want to give Thora that too!" she shouted, falling back in a chair and burying her head in her hands.

"Love, why don't we just ask your mom how she makes cake when she comes here with Thora? Let's be honest, we're not going to manage this on our own," he said, kneeling next to the chair and taking her hand gently in his.

"Because Mother will do that… _thing she does_ where she laughs at how bad of a housewife I am!" she said, using her free hand to wipe at her tears.

"I'm sure she doesn't mean any harm. She just wants you to be the best you can be! I know you can do so much better than this, you just need a bit of guidance," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"One more try. I want one more attempt," she eventually said, standing up again.

* * *

"We're back! And Thora can't wait for her presents!" Kirsten's voice entered the room right before rapid footsteps ran up to Astrid. A small figure hugged her legs, nearly knocking her over. Thankfully she didn't have a hot tray of cake in her hands!

"Hello sweetie! Did you have fun with Grandpa Tolfdir and Grandma Kirsten?" Hiccup said, kneeling next to her and ruffling his daughter's hair.

"Oh yes! Look, Grampa gave me a sword for my birthday!" Thora shouted happily, holding out something closer to a bread knife than a sword. Astrid quickly raised her eyebrow at her father, who shrugged. At least Kirsten looked somewhat apologetic about the way Hiccup, who couldn't see the knife, fell backwards at Thora's move. He very hesitantly reached out his hand to feel for the 'sword', sighing in relief when he noticed its small size.

"Oh Lord above, what is this?!" Kirsten cried out. Astrid turned around to see her mother fanning away clouds of black smoke coming from the oven she opened. Astrid's face burned, and she took a deep sigh.

"I tried to make a cake," she softly said, moving closer to her mother and leaving Hiccup to talk to Thora.

"This is cake? I… Oh my, I never taught you how to bake a cake, did I? Oh, why didn't you just ask?" Kirsten said, carefully taking out the mold filled with what looked like black rocks.

"I thought I could do it. I watched you make them so many times, and…" her daughter giggling made her turn her head to watch. Hiccup was playfighting with Thora. She had just 'stabbed' him, and he fell to the ground in an overly dramatic way.

"Oh no, I have been brought down by the great warrior! The pain is too much!"

"And when you have children it's not so easy to find the time to ask for advice," Kirsten finished her sentence, and Astrid slowly nodded.

"I want to give Thora the birthday joy you gave me. I always looked forward to my birthday cake!" she whispered, trying not to cry from the monstrosities in the cake mold.

"Then we'll make it together. Tolf! I think little Thora still has a bit too much energy left. Why don't you take her for a run before we eat!" Kirsten shouted, winking at her husband.

"Ooh, can I bring my sword? I want to defend myself if we find a troll!" Thora said, brandishing her weapon and brimming with excitement.

"Of course you can, little Valkyrie! Just be careful not to hurt yourself. Remember to keep your sword in its sheath when you're not using it," Tolfdir said as he escorted her outside.

"Alright, now let's see where you went wrong. What did you put in here? Strawberries? CHEESE? Where's the salt?" Kirsten asked, poking at the smoking remnants and looking at the ingredients on the table.

"I panicked! And salt? Seriously? It's supposed to be sweet!" Astrid shouted, and Hiccup laughed. She glared at him. Although he couldn't see it, it still made her feel a little better.

"Oh, you may be all grown up with children of your own, but you still have so much to learn from your old mom. Now, you first want to break these eggs and take out the yolk. We only want the whites. And then get two cups of milk, like so…" Kirsten quickly got to work as Astrid watched. Hiccup sat down next to her, gently rocking Claybones, and suddenly the shame didn't burn nearly as much anymore.


	22. In Battle, Side-By-Side

**A/N: This is quite a long drabble, 6k words, but I think it needed that for the heavy topic it discusses. Warnings for character death and graphic violence.**

* * *

Astrid was afraid. Not of battle, though this was the first time she had been in a real one since before she got married, over six years ago. She knew that she was the best warrior on Berk, that her skills hadn't diminished despite years of chiefing and two child births.

No, she was afraid for her children. Claybones, whose second birthday had been just last week, was crying loudly, upset by the noise and chaos all around him. Kirsten was carrying him, as he couldn't walk by himself because of a broken leg. Thora was trying to stay strong, but Astrid could see she was terrified. The little girl had never seen battle, could not have imagined that Berk itself could be attacked by bloodthirsty invaders. Astrid and Hiccup hadn't seen it coming either.

"Thora, listen to me. You have to stay with your grandmas. Grandma Valka and Grandma Kirsten will look after you. They'll keep you and your brother safe," she told her daughter, hoping the girl couldn't tell how much she hated to let her out of her sight. But it was for the best. They'd be much safer in the old mines rather than in the village where she and Hiccup were staying to lead the defense.

"But Mommy, I-I don't want to! I want to stay with you!" Thora cried, grabbing Astrid's leg tightly. She sighed, before smiling apologetically at the older women next to her. She let her daughter cry for a few seconds.

"You won't have to worry about me. Me and Daddy will be fine! I promise. Now, I need you to look after Clay. Protect him, okay? You have your sword, and Grandpa Tolfdir has trained you," she asked gently, kneeling so she could look Thora in the eye. She didn't want to look at the little dagger on her daughter's belt. What use would that be against bloodthirsty men? But maybe it would make Thora feel a little safer.

"But you said Grampa Stoick would be fine too! And now he's in Valhalla! I don't want you to go to Valhalla!" Thora shouted, grabbing at her armor with trembling hands.

"Oh baby, it's not like that. Grampa was sick. He fought hard against his pneumonia, but that's not an enemy you can fight with weapons. These invaders are. Your father and I, and Grandpa Tolfdir, and all the other warriors will stop them," Astrid said, gently pushing the girl away.

"Now, let's go to the caves. You can explore there! And we'll play games and sing songs. Doesn't that sound fun?" Valka said, taking Thora's hand and pulling her along with the elderly, the sick, and the other children.

"I'll see you soon, love," Astrid said. For a second fear threatened to overwhelm her. What if she wasn't strong enough? What if these raiders got through their defenses and reached the mines? Valka was strong, but she was only one warrior protecting dozens of their most vulnerable people.

No. She couldn't think like that. It would be fine. They spotted the ships early, they had time to prepare. So she shook her head and ran over to Hiccup, who was in the center of the plaza.

"Alright, so they've landed at Thor's beach in the north? They'll be here in about half an hour then," Hiccup said as he ran his hands over the wooden model of the island. The last gift from his father, who had died just a few weeks ago.

"If they're coming at us straight through Crow's Valley we can ambush them in the narrow pass. Archers here, here, and here. With the help of dragons we can cause a rockslide behind them. They'll be trapped and divided," Astrid said, grabbing Hiccup's hand and moving it across the little valley to point at different locations. Her father, Gobber, the rest of the Council, and some other prominent warriors all agreed. She suspected some of them didn't like taking orders from a woman, but there was no time for argument.

"Alright, good plan. Spitelout, lead your group west to those two locations. Grubtongue, you take the east. Snotlout, you lead the dragon riders around the rear of the enemy and cut off their escape. After that, rain fire from above. Tolfdir, you stay here in the village with the reserves. This is too easy, I suspect Drago is landing more men somewhere else. If any of the scout dragon riders spot anything, I trust you to respond as you see best. Astrid and I will go to the peak overlooking Crow's Valley to lead the battle there," Hiccup slowly said. Astrid squeezed his hand, proud of him.

He had only been chief for two weeks and he was already dealing to such a grave threat so well. Astrid could tell that, deep inside, Hiccup was scared. But like her, he wouldn't show it. She suspected most if not all of these men were scared. Many ran to their families, quickly telling them how much they love them and that they'd see each other again soon.

"Let's move out! Quickly now! Yakbrain, Gobber, carry the extra arrows! Anderson, bring the stakes!" Hiccup said, grabbing the model and mounting Toothless. Astrid followed on Stormfly.

"Good luck out there, Astrid. Don't you worry, I'll make sure the village will be here when you get back," Tolfdir said, grabbing her hand when she was about to fly off.

"Good luck to you too. I love you, Father," she softly said. Words of love didn't come easily between them, but this was a special occasion.

Then Stormfly flew off, breaking their moment, and Astrid forced herself to focus on the battle ahead. War had been brewing around the archipelago for some time, rumors of a warlord with a great fleet spreading to Berk. But after Stoick's death things suddenly spiraled out of control. It was as if the warlord, Drago Bludvist, was emboldened by the chief's death.

Hiccup had been chief for less than a week when they received a panicked terror mail from Meathead Island, saying they were under attack by an overwhelming fleet of ships and asking for aid. They were preparing troops to go there when a terror from Bog Island arrived, reporting they had barely fought off the same fleet. Clearly Drago had declared war on all of Berk's allies, perhaps all of the Archipelago.

Still, they hadn't expected the fleet to strike here. Berk was far away from the rest of the Archipelago, and strategically almost useless. Perhaps it was their dragons that Drago wanted to eliminate.

"No reports of that Bewilderbeast the rumors said Drago had a few years ago. None in the letters from the other islands either. Maybe it died or betrayed Drago. I'm just glad we won't have to face it. It could turn our dragons against us," Hiccup said, flying next to her.

"Maybe that's why he's attacking us. Maybe he wants Valka's Bewilderbeast?" Astrid said, before directing Stormfly into a dive towards the peak overlooking Crow's Valley. Below her she could see the Berkians getting into position on the hills around the valley. There were torches in the distance, and the scurrying of dozens or hundreds of enemy soldiers. They were still hundreds of yards away, too far to count or distinguish. Still, when she lifted a spyglass to her eye she could see the silhouette of a catapult in the distance, being pushed through the canyon. More siege weapons were probably on the way.

"This waiting is the hardest," Hiccup suddenly remarked. Astrid made a sound of agreement as she looked through the spyglass again.

"They're nearly all in the pass. I count 4 catapults. Not sure how many men. A hundred? They're very close together. They're in the shadow of the canyon, so I can't tell if they're armored," she said, before turning to the Berkians lying in wait. A blur passed above her through the cloudy sky. Snotlout with the dragon riders.

"Alright then. Give the signal when you think it's best," Hiccup said, his voice void of emotion. Astrid worried about him for a moment. He didn't like fighting or killing, though this war forced him into it anyway. And knowing they were all that stood between these ruthless men and their children hardened their resolve.

Still, she was happy he wouldn't be able to see the carnage. No need for more fuel for his nightmares. With a deep sigh she put her spyglass away and grabbed her bow. Stormfly lit her arrow as she drew it.

With one last glance at the enemy army she released the signal arrow. It lit a bright path through the low sun rays. A dark night was coming.

For a second, the sky lit up like a bright summer day when the dragons set off the explosion on top of the pass. Even from here Astrid could feel the shockwave. Faint screams echoed through the valley as massive boulders rained down on the enemy army, followed by a rain of arrows

Hiccup's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything. Finally releasing a breath she had been holding since she drew the bow, Astrid grabbed her spyglass again to observe the battle. The enemy army was split in two by the rockslide, and their siege engines were buried in the rubble. The troops she could see seemed to be in chaos, though a man with black hair was rallying them. Drago?

The enemies quickly formed a tight circle, raising their large shields to block the barrage of arrows. Astrid wasn't sure how many were left. Two or three dozen, maybe? Plus the troops on the other side of the blockade.

"They're regrouping, moving away from the rockslide, towards… us?" Astrid said, quickly dropping her spyglass and grabbing her bow again to loose a few arrows herself. In the chaos, she wasn't sure if any of hers hit.

The scream of an enemy still made her shiver when he fell to the ground, his place in the circle quickly replaced with another.

"Vikings! To me!" Hiccup shouted, opening a little canister he brought. It released a cloud of red smoke, signalling the Berkians to move towards them. Astrid suddenly realized their perilous position. The Berkians were spread out, outnumbering the remaining raiders, but if the enemy focused on one of their positions they were very vulnerable.

Astrid loosed arrow after arrow until her quiver was empty, and then she grabbed her axe. Alongside her Toothless and Stormfly shot fire. The enemy line was closing in fast, and it was just her, Hiccup, and their dragons against a large group.

She was about to suggest they climb on their dragons and fly away when Hiccup threw a canister of Zippleback gas, creating a blazing barrier between them and their enemies.

The burning body of a man stumbled through the wall of fire, landing at her feet. He was screaming and flailing, but Astrid saw only the sword in his hand, and acted on complete instinct. Her axe fell, first cutting off his hand, then his head.

"Forward! Through that fire! We need to cut down their chief!" a raw voice shouted from within the chaos. The wall of fire was dying down. Zippleback fuel never lasted long, Astrid remembered with a shock.

"Hiccup, run! Get on Toothless and fly away!" she shouted, raising her shield and crouching when the first man jumped through the low flames. He was blinded by the smoke, and an easy target for her axe.

"I'm not gonna leave you here!" he shouted, barely audible over Toothless' roar when he mauled another man with his claws.

"Then stay back at least!" she called, not looking around to see if he was obeying her orders. Maybe her words weren't even audible over the battle cries and screams. Several men jumped through the smoke, swinging their weapons at her. Astrid rolled under a spear, slashing at the back of a leg, and then firing the bolas in her shield at a swordsman. With her hasty aiming they didn't trap the man, but the heavy balls did break his arm with a bloodcurdling crunch. He screamed in pain, dropping his weapon and running away.

Astrid didn't pay attention to the deserter anymore, already turning to face another spearman when she saw him fall in the corner of her eye. A javelin had pierced his back. Astrid didn't understand, who had thrown that? Hiccup didn't use such weapons, and the other Berkians were too far away still.

"No one runs away. Victory or death! We must kill the dragon riders!" a grating voice shouted, the same one who had rallied the enemies. Finally a large figure emerged from the smoke, stepping on the dying embers. Another man broke ranks, running away after Stormfly bit his shoulder. The leader took another short javelin from under his cloak and threw it at the fleeing man, killing him.

"That's what happens to cowards! And what will happen to dragon riders too!" the man -Drago, Astrid realized amid her panic- announced, lifting a strange weapon and swinging it around. What was that? A spear? Harpoon? She didn't have time to think about it, blocking an axe with her shield before swinging her own.

Another scream of pain was added to the chorus. Astrid stumbled over the body of a man, no idea if he was dead or alive, if she killed him or someone else. The smell and sound was overwhelming, and at the same time it was like they were barely even there. Astrid's eyes were locked to the enemy weapons, to their exposed body parts and nothing else mattered but blocking and attacking.

"Drago Bludvist? Stop this madness! You can't defeat us! Your army is in shambles, and our dragons are burning your fleet as we speak! It's over!" Hiccup said, somehow calm amidst this maelstrom of chaos and blood. Arrows landed just feet away. The Berkians were getting closer.

"It's just over for you!" the large man shouted, before running straight at Hiccup, weapon raised. Astrid screamed, but an enemy jumped in her path. Suddenly nothing else mattered. It felt like everything slowed down and sped up at the same time. The enemy suddenly crumpled to the ground, blood spraying from wounds she didn't remember inflicting. It didn't matter. She jumped past the dying man and charged at Drago.

An arrow struck the enemy leader in his shoulder, and it made the man stumble. Hiccup managed to block the fumbled attack with his cane before counterattacking. The tip of his cane glanced off Drago's armored chest.

Astrid was about to jump between them when Toothless roared in fury. The dragon pounced on Drago, slashing at his face and making him fall to the ground. A horrific scream rang out, but Astrid didn't care. She brought down her axe on his arm, confused when it bounced off like metal. But she didn't have time to think about it. He didn't have armor on his other arm, so she simply struck there, grimacing when blood sprayed out.

"That's what you get for attacking my husband!" she screamed, bringing down her axe again and again while Toothless mauled at the man's face. Nothing mattered anymore apart from stopping Drago.

"Astrid! Stop! That's enough! He can't hurt us anymore," Hiccup said as he grabbed her shoulder, and she nearly attacked him with her axe. But then the red haze faded and she realized her foe was dead. The other raiders had lain down their weapons and surrendered to the Berkian troops nearby.

"We won," she gasped. "We did it."

"Yeah. I guess we did. But let's make sure there's no other raiders around," Hiccup said, already turning away, but she grabbed him, pulling him against her in a tight hug. She was covered in blood and smearing it all over him, but it didn't matter. She had to know he was alive, that he was still there.

"Astrid! Can't breathe!" he gasped, though she could tell he was touched. Spitelout was walking up to them, and she could see Yakbrain's group approaching as well.

"Are you okay? What happened here?" Spitelout asked, and Hiccup sighed. Astrid took his arm and gently led him away from the dead bodies and charred ground.

"We killed Drago, their leader. That should be the end of it. The dragons must have burned their fleet by now, so there's no escape for the other raiders trapped behind the rockslide. They have to surrender now. Still… I don't trust it. I feel like there might have been more to Drago's plan. Be careful. There could be other groups on Berk, trying to flank us or something. Best to head back to the village as soon as possible so we can regroup," Hiccup slowly said. His voice was flat and even, like he was talking about something meaningless. Astrid knew better. He'd never be okay with this kind of bloodshed, and it was all he could do to hold himself together in front of the commanders.

She felt sick herself. But she couldn't think about that yet. Her children and her village needed her. She had to know they were all safe.

"Any casualties on our end?" she asked as Yakbrain joined them. He looked devastated. They started marching back to the village.

"A lot of wounded. They had nasty arrows that rip chunks of flesh from your limbs. Wulfhild and Big Karl might need to have their arm amputated. Slugfeet got hit in his spine. He… He might never walk again. I don't know how bad it is yet. The healers are working as hard as they can, of course," Yakbrain said, voice breaking at the end. Slugfeet was his eldest son. He was supposed to take over the shipmaking business soon. Yakbrain's hands were becoming too shaky to hold the planks and nails. But now…

"I'm sorry, Yakbrain. Truly. Let's pray the gods have mercy on him. I promise we'll do everything we can to help him and the others. But first we have to regroup and reorganize. Get the healers and others where they need to go, search the island for any enemies that might be left. Can you help us with that? I understand if you can't," Hiccup said, and Yakbrain shook his head.

"I'll help. I have to stay strong. I don't want anyone else to get hurt," Yakbrain said

They walked back to Berk in relative silence. The rest of the armed villagers followed, guarding the surrendered raiders. Way behind them came the wounded, carried on stretchers. Dragons flew overhead as they entered the square where the reserves were waiting.

"Chief! Thank the gods you're okay! Did you… Did we win?" a young man asked.

"We did, though there's still a lot of work to do. Where's Tolfdir?" Hiccup asked, and Astrid was struck by a cold stab in her stomach. Something was wrong, she could feel it.

"The Night Terrors reported a disturbance in the southern forest. Commander Tolfdir didn't want to leave the village undefended, so he went to scout himself and left me in command. He hasn't returned," the man said, and Astrid shook her head. No, her father was strong and quick, he had to be fine.

"Alright… Spitelout, take yours and Yakbrain's men that can still fight, and do a sweep of the north. Try to make the enemies surrender instead of killing them. Take Drago's dead body to convince them if you have to. Snotlout and the other riders can help you with scouting," Hiccup said, before turning to Yakbrain.

"You, go to the mines and bring the villagers there back here. Set up a medical post in the Great Hall and get meals prepared for everyone. Make sure everyone has a place to stay and someone to look after them. Kirsten will be able to help. Gobber as well. Astrid and I will search the southern forest for Tolfdir. We'll be faster on dragonback."

Astrid felt like she was dreaming when she mounted Stormfly. Her head was just all messed up from the battle. She had killed people. No idea how many. It all went by way too quickly to count or even remember.

"Stormfly, you know what to do! Find him!" she said, patting her dragon's head and banishing the images from her mind. Not now. She had to focus.

They flew low over the forest, nearly brushing the treetops, when suddenly Stormfly dove through a small gap in the leafs to land in a clearing. Toothless had to circle around to follow them, but Stormfly didn't wait for that. She quickly ran through the bushes while sniffing the ground. Astrid gasped when she saw a dead body with a knife in his neck.

"Stormfly, stop!" she whispered, dismounting and grabbing her bloodstained axe. Carefully she walked over to the body. That was one of her father's throwing knives. He must have ambushed this man. But if there was one enemy, there had probably been others.

Stormfly started walking again, and Astrid quickly followed. There was blood on the ground, a trail leading to another dead man lying facedown. She didn't want to touch him, but she still turned him over with her axe. He had a knife in his chest, and his entire front was covered in blood. He had probably been hit but not killed right away. He must have run after Tolfdir and collapsed from blood loss.

Astrid had always known her father was one of the best warriors Berk had ever seen, but to see the aftermath of it firsthand was something else. She turned away from the body and walked in the direction he must have been running towards.

Stormfly seemed to sniff him in the same direction, and she gripped her axe tighter when she heard something in the distance. Heavy breathing? She made her way through heavy bushes, cursing at the loudly snapping branches, when she suddenly tripped over another body. An archer with a knife in his eye. She let out a little yelp, immediately swearing when she realized her mistake.

"Who's there?" She recognized that voice, though she had never heard it so strained.

"Father! It's me, Astrid!" she ran in his direction, almost immediately entering another clearing.

A horrific sight awaited her. Half a dozen bodies lay sprawled around the clearing, slashing wounds all over them. And at the other side was her father, sitting against a tree.

With an arrow sticking out of his chest.

"FATHER!" she screamed, jumping over the corpses and kneeling at her father's side.

"Astrid. Oh, I'm so glad you're safe. I was so worried," he said, a little blood coming out of his mouth with the words.

"You were worried about me? Look at you! We need to get you to Gothi right away! Come on, Stormfly can carry you!" she shouted, just as Toothless and Hiccup made their way to the clearing. The Night Fury growled at the bodies.

"Easy, Astrid. Is everyone safe? Did the big battle go well?" Tolfdir asked as he put a hand on her shoulder, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the arrowshaft in his lower chest.

"We won. Drago is dead, and we only have some wounded. We're regrouping at the village, and we should go back there. I assume you… you are wounded?" Hiccup said, his cane awkwardly feeling for walking space between the bodies.

"That damn archer hit me in the stomach. But I killed him, and his entire gang, I think. I was scouting, and found these guys. They were here to take over the village while you were all busy up north. But they were walking… They were moving towards the mines. They would have found Kirsten, and the grandkids, and everyone else. I- Aaargh, I couldn't let that happen," Tolfdir said, groaning in pain when he shifted.

"Father… That wound looks bad. I'm taking you to the village." Astrid's voice was flat. She couldn't think, she could barely breathe. Still she found the strength to grab him gently and lift him onto Stormfly's back. Hiccup seemed to get her idea, and mounted Toothless.

"Okay. I need to know they're safe… I need to tell Kirsten… Before it's over..." her father mumbled, but she couldn't hear him when she climbed behind Hiccup. The dragons quickly flew up and back towards the village.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Your dad is tough," Hiccup whispered as they flew, and she nodded, trying to believe him.

A few minutes later they landed in front of the Great Hall, where a field hospital was set up. The elders and children from the mines had just made it back to the village. Astrid could see them hug their fathers and sons all over the square, grateful they all survived.

It made her feel so cold.

The moment Stormfly touched down she was shouting for people to take her father inside. He was surely the most gravely wounded, he needed priority!

"No, let the others go first," he mumbled as they put him on a stretcher and brought him in, but he was too weak to truly resist. His voice, normally so strong and commanding, was cracked and wheezy.

Gothi took one look at the arrow before pushing her current patient away and gesturing at the men to put Tolfdir on the table before her. The woman who had been getting her arm bandaged looked like she was about to protest, but then she saw that Tolfdir was covered in blood. Gobber, who was interpreting for Gothi, gently took her shoulder and pulled her away to another table.

"Get Kirst- AAARGH" her father screamed when Gothi pushed the arrow a little. His hand shot out and grabbed the old woman's arm.

"It's no use, elder. I'll bleed to death the moment you pull the arrow out. It did too much damage. I can feel it inside. My stomach's already full of blood. I just need to say my… say my goodbyes," he groaned, and it was like everything else ceased to exist for Astrid.

"NO! No, that can't be true! You can save him, right? Bandage it up, clean it, spare no expense!" she shouted, moving to grab the horrid arrow herself. It was only Hiccup grabbing her arm that stopped her.

Gothi was silent for a while, carefully examining the wound, but then she slowly shook her head. Her staff moved quickly over a sandbox next to her, scribbling symbols in it.

"She… agrees with Tolfdir's diagnosis. He probably has a few hours left. There are herbs she can apply, to stop the pain, or put you to sleep-" Gobber interpreted, and Tolfdir shook his head violently.

"No herbs! No painkillers! If this is the end, then I will face it with strength and honor. I just ask for… a quiet place where I can talk to my wife and daughter," he said clearly, despite the blood trickling from his lips.

Astrid couldn't speak as they moved him to a makeshift bed in the corner. For most of her life she had believed her father was invincible, the strongest man who ever was. But to see him bleeding from an arrow in his stomach, to hear him talk about the end… It couldn't be. This couldn't be happening.

"Oh God, Tolfdir! They said… Oh my God. They can heal this, right?" Her mother's voice pulled Astrid from her shock, and she looked up to see Kirsten kneel next to her father.

"It's… It's over, love. The gods have just granted me a few hours to say my goodbyes. And I am grateful for that. I have so much to say," Tolfdir said between heavy breaths.

"I'll give you some space," Hiccup whispered. He squeezed her hand one last time before moving back into the crowd. Astrid knew she should be helping him, that she was chief just as much as he was, and that their people needed them. But nothing seemed to matter beyond her father dying.

"They were going to the mines. Where you were, and little Thora and Clay. And everyone else. I couldn't let that happen. So I stopped them," Tolf explained to Kirsten, grabbing her hand and holding it to his chest.

"Darling… My stupid, brave hero. Of course you did," Kirsten said, tears flowing over her cheeks and falling on her husband's arm. Astrid couldn't take it anymore.

"How can you be so calm about this?! You… You're dying and you're just so… Why are you not fighting?!" she screamed, grabbing her father's other hand and holding it tight. She wanted to punch him, shake him, tell him to not give up.

"Astrid… My body is broken. You have to let me go," he said as more blood trickled into his short beard.

"There's no more fighting to be done. The war is over. You and Hiccup ended another one with your clever plans and open minds. Just like before. And everyone I love is safe and sound," he said, turning his face away from them and to the crowd at the other end of the Hall.

There were gawkers staring at them, but Gobber pushed them away and told them to mind his own business. The Hall was slowly emptying as everyone got their wounds treated. She couldn't find Hiccup at first, but then someone moved and she could see him kneeling on the ground. He was holding Clay gently and saying something to Thora. Valka was next to them, her eyes moving between her grandchild and Tolfdir's death bed.

"You're not safe and sound! It's not fair!" Astrid shouted, looking at her children who would grow up without grandpas. How was she even going to explain this to Thora? The little girl was already heartbroken from losing Stoick!

Toldfir sighed. "No, it isn't. I wish I could have had many more years with you and Kirsten and everyone else. But… I lived a good life. I have a wonderful daughter who grew up into an amazing chieftess. I got to be with the most wonderful and wise woman a man could have. I got to hold my grandchildren and know my line will continue."

"I have seen peace come to this island when it seemed impossible. And even now, you and Hiccup have shown that your vision, of dragons and humans working together, can overcome any foe. I know this family and this village will endure and prosper, even when I am gone," he said, a tear rolling down his cheek as well.

"And this end… if I had to choose a way to die, I couldn't think of a more honorable one than falling while protecting the ones I love. I get to die from my wounds of battle, and I will be welcomed into Valhalla, the Hall of Heroes. I will meet my ancestors, in whose mighty company… I will no longer need to feel ashamed," he whispered, more tears falling.

"Kirsten… I will get to see our little Erik again. I believe that with all my heart. And I can finally look him and Odin in the eye as someone who retained his honor. I failed Erik all those years ago, but… I have atoned, right?"

"Oh darling… a thousand times over! Odin will welcome you as a hero. Erik's death was never your fault. I know you don't believe that, but it's true. And Odin will tell you that too. Or God in Heaven will. You know I'm skeptical of what lies beyond, but I believe you will be welcomed there regardless," Kirsten said through her tears.

"My wise and clever wife. Write a ballad about me, eh?" he chuckled, voice getting heavier.

"Sure, and I'll call it _The Honorable Idiot_. What am I supposed to do without you, eh? Write songs all day now that I don't have to… to teach you for the millionth time how to do the laundry?" Kirsten said, voice breaking at the end. More tears fell, on all sides of the bed.

"You're the strongest cleverest most capable person I know. You'll figure it out. You were always the thinker among us. I was just the muscle. And I don't think Berk needs much muscle anymore," Tolfdir said, eyes turning back to his grandchildren again. Thora was looking over, clearly confused, but then Valka took her hand and pulled her away gently.

"Maybe, but you were my muscle. My big strong handsome man. And I love you so much," Kirsten cried.

"I love you too. More than I have words for. And you as well, Astrid. My brave little valkyrie. I'm sorry for how I raised you at first, it was wrong. I hope you can forgive me," Tolfdir turned to Astrid, and she shook her head.

"What are you- You were the best father I could have wished for! You're my hero!" she shouted, squeezing his hand as tears streamed over her cheeks.

"Once upon a time I would have been furious at seeing you cry like that. And that was wrong. Not all tears are evil, I understand that now. You taught me that. You and Hiccup and the dragons and the grandkids," he whispered, raising his hand to wipe her tears away. It was no use, more tears just took their place. One fell from his own eye, mixing with the blood in his beard.

"Is there anything I can do? Anything you want before…" her mother said slowly, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"I want to talk to some people. Valka, Gobber, Kelda, Gunborg. Do you… Do you think I could hold Thora and Clay one last time? No, I shouldn't. Their last memory of their grandpa shouldn't be this," he whispered, closing his eyes for a few seconds. "Astrid, you should go to them. They must be scared without their mother."

Astrid wanted to tell him that she was scared of being without her father, but she knew he was right. He deserved some privacy to speak with his oldest friends. There would still be a little time to say goodbye.

"I'm not saying goodbye yet! I… I'll be back soon, and I will protect you for as long as I can," she said heatedly, reluctantly letting go of her father's hand. He just chuckled.

"There's the shieldmaiden I know. Go on now. Hug your children. You never know when the last time will be."

Gobber must have noticed her and Kirsten getting up, as he chose that moment to move next to the bed. Astrid didn't listen to their conversation, instead taking her father's advice and running to Hiccup and Thora.

"Mommy! Mommy, you're okay! What happened to Grampa?" little Thora asked, for once not complaining when Astrid grabbed her in a tight hug.

"Grandpa is… hurt. It's best if we leave him alone for a bit," she said. Over Thora's shoulder she could see Hiccup nod, signalling he understood her not wanting to explain another grandparent dying yet.

"Is it like Clay? Did he break his leg?" she asked, holding onto Astrid just as tightly.

"No, it's worse than that. But don't think about that right now. You're okay, and your little brother and me and daddy are all okay. And we're not going anywhere. There'll be no more scary battles, at least not for a long time," she said. Hiccup chose that moment to join in on the hug, carefully holding a sleeping Claybones between them.

"Did you stop the bad men?" Thora asked softly.

"We did. Grampa even stopped a dozen all by himself!" Hiccup said, and Astrid could hear the sliver of pain in his voice, even as he tried to remain upbeat for his children.

"Wow. Grampa is strong. But not as strong as Mommy!" Thora said, softly punching her arm. It made her smile.

Her father would leave an enormous hole in her heart, but Astrid forced herself to remember that there were so many others who gave her strength too. A tear dropped in Thora's hair, and she remembered not all tears were evil. Tomorrow she'd explain what happened to their grandfather, but tonight she'd simply hold her family close and stay with her father as long as possible.

Hiccup squeezed her hand, and she knew he'd be with her all the way. In war and in peacetime.


	23. Arguing

A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back with another drabble. This one takes place during the first half of their honeymoon! Next day's drabble, Making Up Afterwards, will be a sequel/conclusion to this one, so don't worry: They'll realize how dumb they're being and figure out how to live together.

* * *

Day 1

Astrid woke up at dawn as usual, though she instantly felt on alert. The blanket she was lying under had a different texture, and a sunbeam hit her face at a different angle than it normally did. She kept her eyes closed, groaning softly at the ache in her thighs when she shifted. What was going on? Her brain was too sluggish for this.

All of a sudden something moved behind her, and then something cold and rough touched the back of her leg. Her naked leg. She yelped loudly, jumping away from the freezing thing behind her. Cold air all over her body told her she was naked, and she instinctively grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around herself.

"Astrid? What's wrong?" Hiccup's voice mumbled, and it was only then that Astrid realized that he was in the bed with her.

Just as naked as she was, everything on display now that she snatched the blanket.

Everything came flooding back. They got married yesterday. They moved into their own house, made love, and this was the first day of their new life together.

"'Strid? Are you hurt?" Hiccup asked again, clearly still sleepy.

"No, no, it's… sorry, I'm not used to waking up with someone else. I panicked. But it's okay now," she told him, pressing herself against him and pulling the blanket back over them. "Your feet- Uh, foot, is freezing cold, by the way."

He chuckled awkwardly, and memories of last night came flooding back. That explained the soreness. But it was a good soreness. Like the ache she got when she did a new training exercise.

"I guess we'll have to warm up then," he mumbled, pulling her a little closer to him (oh gods, he was cold everywhere!). She turned her head to see his smirk. Huh, that's a different attitude from last night. But not an entirely unwelcome one, despite the fading soreness. She'd had worse pains.

"Oh, getting cocky, eh? Ready for more?" she asked, climbing on top of him. She was about to kiss him when her leg brushed his foot again.

"Okay, seriously though, I really hope that foot won't always be this cold," Astrid said, before they stopped talking for a while.

* * *

Day 3

"Astrid, where is my whetstone? I put it on the workbench yesterday but now it's gone!" Hiccup shouted, blindly digging through the pile of scrap metal and chips of wood that was stacked in his workshop.

"I don't know! You probably misplaced it! You know, it's been two days and the place is already a mess!" she shouted back as he dropped a sheet of metal he had been looking under. It clanged loudly as it hit his prosthetic, echoing through the house with an angry chime.

"Kicking it won't help!" Astrid said, entering behind him. Her words made him want to actually kick something.

"I didn't- It fell, okay. And it's not a mess. I have a system. A system that you interfere with," he said, breathing heavily in an attempt to keep his temper.

"Oh really, I always figured the system was that you just put stuff on the pile closest to you. And then when you inevitably forget which pile you put what in, you ask me to find it for you," she said in a teasing tone, but it stung all the same.

"It's not like that! You never pay attention-" he forced himself to stop there. Finishing that accusation would lead to nothing good.

"Look, it's right here, in between these very precariously stacked piles of jagged metal. Real safe there, Hiccup," Astrid said, pushing him aside to take something from the bench.

"Says the girl who nearly threw an axe into my head this morning," he muttered, remembering the terror he had felt at the cold iron grazing his cheek when he walked outside to get some water.

"Oh, come on, you know the backyard is my place, I train there, even when we're cooped up in this house!" she said, slamming the whetstone into his open hand. He flinched, nearly dropping the small tool.

"Well, this room is my place, so how about you stop complaining about my stuff in here, and I stop talking about your axe throwing out there!" Hiccup shouted, turning away from her. Some part of him wanted out, wanted to run as far away from this stupid argument as possible. But isn't this what married life is supposed to be? Always being together, happy in the same space all the time?

"Fine! But don't call me next time you lose something," Astrid shouted, leaving the room.

"And I won't fix your axe when you hit the rocks again!" he shouted back. The only response he got was the door slamming hard, shaking in its hinges. He felt like a complete idiot. But surely this was over, they established their boundaries for some personal space, and now they could move on.

Just 24 days to go until the Honeymoon was over.

* * *

Day 8

Astrid flinched, dropping the soap she was holding when the loud crack of shattering earthenware rang through the room. She turned around to see shards all over the floor of what had been her mug just two seconds ago.

"Hiccup!" she shouted, taking the soap again and putting it away as he stood there sheepishly, surrounded by the broken shards.

"Sorry! I didn't know it was there! The counter was empty a minute ago so I wanted to put my plate away!" he said defensively, not moving to clean it up. His dirty plate sat on the counter where the mug had been, and for second she got the ridiculous urge to smash it as revenge.

"Yeah, I put it there to wash it. Like I was gonna wash your dirty dishes," she snarked instead.

"Hey, you have a dirty plate too, it's not just my mess," he said, still not doing anything about the shards on the floor.

"Funny since I always seem to be the one to do the dishes. You just put them on the counter and expect them to magically clean themselves!"

Astrid didn't know what it was about this honeymoon that made her just so… annoyed at everything Hiccup did. Things that had been endearing or cute while they were just dating, like how he never dared to get in her way, or his bumbling when he broke something, were now infuriating.

Maybe it was the fact that they had gone so suddenly from living separately with their families to being forced to be in the same house together for literally an entire month. Before Astrid had been able to get away and cool off if he did something annoying, and she didn't have to endure the stupid habits he had that she never noticed.

Like how he kept making this ticking sound with his tongue, or would roll over constantly in his sleep, or barely offered to help her with housework.

It was so confusing. Astrid still loved him so much, still wanted him so much. Despite their fights they could barely keep their hands off each other, taking advantage of every flat surface in the house.

Sometimes it was like everything Hiccup did either infuriated her or turned her on. It was a confusing whirlwind of emotions that she just hadn't expected three years into their relationship.

"I don't do the dishes because the last time I tried, you complained I missed spots I couldn't see!" Hiccup shouted, and she was brought back to their current argument.

"Fine, just go and… do your thing. I'll clean your mess. Again," she sighed, grabbing some big shards and throwing them in the trash. For a second Hiccup looked really sad and guilty, and she thought he was going to say something, but then the moment passed. He turned and left the kitchen, slamming the door to his workshop with a loud bang.

She knew it wouldn't last, that in a few hours they'd be all over each other again and declaring their love amidst heavy sighs and deep moans, but that didn't mean she wasn't worried about these fights. What if they'd get worse?

* * *

Day 13

"Hiccup, come to bed!" Astrid shouted as he sketched his newest invention: a sewing machine that could do the work of 8 spinsters.

"Just a minute," he mumbled, ignoring her long groan.

"That's what you said an hour ago! That's it, I'm going to bed now. You better not wake me when you finally get tired."

"That's the first time you complain about my inventing at night," he chuckled. There was a short silence that suddenly ended with a smack when Astrid threw a pillow at him.

"Because back then we didn't get to sleep together dammit! Gods, I thought it was the men always trying to get their women into their bed, not the other way around!" she shouted, and Hiccup wasn't entirely sure if she was actually angry or just joking. Either way, the remark stung, and he couldn't help stinging back.

"At least this way I'm not freezing you with my cold feet."

He almost instantly regretted the words, but Astrid's growl only made him want to dig in further.

"Fine, have it your way. I'm going to sleep now and if you wake me later, I swear to Thor…" she muttered, grabbing the pillow from where it had bounced off to and getting in bed with a loud huff.

"Good night," he said, more sarcastic than really necessary.

"...G'night" eventually came from the bed, very softly like she didn't really want him to hear it. It made him feel guilty. Still, this machine he was sketching required his focus, so he refused to listen to Astrid's breathing slowly turning to snoring.

Even when her snores quieted Hiccup had a hard time focusing on the invention. His thoughts kept turning back to the past two weeks they lived together. Before he hadn't expected it to change their lives much. They already spent a lot of their waking hours together; marrying just added their non-waking hours. And yet something had shifted, and he wasn't sure what it was.

Maybe the source of his frustrations and snarkiness wasn't really her, maybe it was just being stuck in this house for the honeymoon. He missed Toothless, and their morning flights. But no, the council had decided that the honeymoon isolation included their dragons. So he didn't get to fly, didn't get to play with his best friend.

And yet it wasn't just that either. Astrid could be so overbearing, so imposing, and that gigantic presence was hard when they were stuck inside such a tiny house. He felt like he was suffocating at times, like he couldn't even breathe without her noticing something that would lead to a fight.

Maybe that was why he was still awake now, long after she had gone to sleep. He felt free somehow. Alone.

Could there be such a thing as 'too much Astrid' in his life? Just two weeks ago he'd have said no. Now he wasn't sure. His thoughts kept going in circles, veering between annoyance at some of the things she had said and guilt over what he had shouted back.

It was only when he crawled into bed behind her hours later, as gently as he could to avoid disturbing her, that he whispered "I love you, and I'm sorry," in her sleeping ear.


	24. Making up Afterward

**A/N: I'm sorry these drabbles are coming so slowly. I promise that I will finish them, however! This drabble is a direct continuation of the previous one.**

* * *

"Knock knock! Astrid, are you there? Hiccup?" Kirsten called out, frowning when no one came to open the door to her daughter's house. Maybe they were enjoying each other, making full use of the honeymoon they were only halfway through? It'd make sense. Kirsten remembered her own honeymoon fondly, even if they had really been too young for married life.

Still, she didn't trust the silence in the house. The window was open, so if the newlyweds were… occupied, surely she'd hear _something_. She walked over, looking into the living room and preparing to glance away if they happened to be busy on the kitchen table.

Huh. No sign of them. Some dishes were left on the table, with traces of breakfast, probably from this morning. So it wasn't like they were sleeping late. Wouldn't be like Astrid anyway, the girl was always up with the sun, and right now it was almost noon. Surely they hadn't broken the tradition and sneaked out? Hiccup did like to break traditions, but no, not possible. Toothless and Stormfly were still staying with her and Tolfdir.

Kirsten sighed, debating leaving the basket full of food on their doorstep or just coming back later, when a sound reached her, coming from behind the house.

She walked around the house, eyes widening when she saw the state of the treeline. All of the trunks had deep gashes, like a great monster had swept through and sharpened its claws on them. A few trees had been felled, but not cleanly like they had been chopped for firewood. No, their leafs and branches were left intact, sticking out among the bushes were they had fallen.

An axe flew into the forest, glistening in the bright sun. It struck a battered tree, sinking deep into the ancient wood. The bark groaned, and for a moment Kirsten feared it would fall as well.

A blonde girl stomped over, grabbing the axe handle and wrenching it out with a loud cry. She then marched back to a spot where the grass was stomped and yellowed, before throwing the axe again.

Kirsten waited until she was sure her daughter didn't have a deadly weapon in her hand before announcing her presence.

"Knock knock! Is this a bad time?" she asked, walking into the 'yard', the little cleared area near their back door between the hot spring and the forest. Astrid jumped, hand straying to her leg for a second, surely to grab a dagger. Oh, her daughter was so much like her father, always prepared for attacks.

"No, I… We aren't supposed to talk, I thought. Are you here to drop off the food?" Astrid said, clearly shaken by her sudden arrival.

"Well, I was, but it looks like something's going on here. Something that warrants me bending the rules a little. Why aren't you inside with your husband? Where is Hiccup, by the way?" Kirsten asked, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder and gently squeezing.

"He's locked himself in his workshop, I think. I don't know. Things are weird between us," Astrid slowly said with a deep sigh. Kirsten frowned, putting the basket of food down and leading her daughter to one of the fallen trees. A part near the base had no branches, so it provided a place for them to sit.

"Oh dear, what's going on? I hope you don't think that marrying was too hasty or something. You'd been stuck in the same stage for years, you two needed to move up a bit!" Kirsten said, sitting down. Astrid hesitated for a second before sitting next to her.

"I don't know! It's like… I love him, okay? I love him so much and ever since we… Ever since the wedding night it feels like that love is so much more complete. But at the same time I am just… annoyed at everything he does! We have these stupid fights about stupid nothings and yet they're not nothings and it doesn't make sense. Before this honeymoon we rarely fought, at least not over random stuff like… who should do the dishes or where to put whetstones! But now we… I don't know, we're avoiding each other? Except we're also not, we do… you-know, a lot, and then we talk, but it's not about anything, just how much we love each other. It's so confusing!" Astrid said, almost in one breath. Kirsten was sure she had been holding these things in for two weeks now, and she remembered why she hated that stupid rule about honeymoon isolation.

"Come here," she simply said, opening her arms wide. Astrid shook her head for a second, but then she all but jumped into her arms. Soft sniffs followed.

"There, there. It's okay to feel this way. I think I know what's going on, but before I explain let's just let everything out, okay? You've been cooped up for too long!" she whispered, patting Astrid's back gently as she let out all the frustrations.

"Is this what the old men mean when they complain about married life? I thought we'd just… I didn't think we'd fight so much! I'm so miserable and yet I don't want to leave him either, he makes me happy!" Astrid said, clearly trying not to cry.

"Oh, love, it's gonna be okay. It's normal. Your father and I went through this as well when we got married. You know we got married… hastily, and I was already pregnant, but still," Kirsten said, slowly pulling Astrid out of the embrace so they could look at each other.

"You see, moving in together is a really really big step. You're gonna see parts of each other that you hadn't seen before, notice habits that annoy you, have to compromise on things you did separately."

"You know how in stories, characters have good and bad qualities, perks and flaws? In reality, a quality can seem both good and bad depending on the situation. Your boyfriend might seem really spontaneous and generous, always surprising you with gifts, but then when you're married and have shared finances, that suddenly becomes an inability to handle money. Maybe you always liked how Hiccup is rebellious and doesn't limit himself with tradition, but over time that can also be a lack of structure or makes him unreliable. You like how he works hard on new inventions all day, until he starts leaving his sketches and tools all over _your_ house that you just cleaned," Kirsten explained, and Astrid slowly nodded.

"I… I guess that makes sense. We keep fighting over things we didn't have to deal with before. Who cleans the house, where to put our shared things, when to go to sleep. And in those things we… clash. But how do I fix that? I don't want to fight like this all the time!" she said, looking away and fiddling with her skirt.

"You talk about it calmly. Tolfdir and I have a rule that we never go to bed angry with each other. We always talk things out. It doesn't have to be right when you have a fight, sometimes you just need a break to cool down and think things over, but you do have to talk before it starts to fester. And then together you figure out what caused the fight, what a solution is to whatever the fight was about, and how you stop this from causing more fights in the future. It's… not always easy, but married life isn't easy. It's hard work, especially when you're stubborn like you and Hiccup are!" Kirsten chuckled. Astrid was silent for a while, but eventually nodded.

"I… I'll try that. But what if Hiccup doesn't want to cooperate?" she asked, looking up at the house with a nervous expression.

"Oh girl, I think Hiccup wants nothing more than to make things right, but he just doesn't know how. Neither of you knew how to make the first step. That boy doesn't hold grudges, you know that. And he loves you to bits, he won't stay angry at you. I think he's just a bit scared and claustrophobic right now. He probably misses Toothless, gods know that dragon misses him, and he misses flying and smithing and all his other routine. When you're handicapped like Hiccup that routine is very important, you know. So he's a little lost now, and he probably doesn't know how to ask you for help since you are just as lost and he doesn't want to burden you."

Astrid chuckled. "How do you always know what is going on in people's heads?"

"A lot of practice at the Great Hall, dear. That's all there is to it. Practice. So now, go back in there and practice making up with your husband! Freya, your _husband_! I can't believe I finally get to say that. Now I need a new routine as well, can't just tell you to get married anymore! Maybe I should start asking for grandkids, but I feel like you don't need my pushing for that!" she laughed, before standing up. Astrid blushed brightly.

"Thanks, Mother," she simply said, standing up as well.

"No problem. Remember that you can always ask me for help, no matter how old you get. I'm still your mom," Kirsten said, before giving Astrid the basket of food.

"Now go in there, eat this food, and figure things out with Hiccup. And then when this is all over you'll look back on this and laugh at how stupid you were," she said, walking back to the village. Astrid didn't follow, instead grabbing her axe and going back inside the house. Kirsten chuckled to herself, knowing those kids would be just fine.

* * *

Hiccup sat in his workshop, digging in one of the piles of designs for an old sketch for an irrigation system. For a second he considered asking Astrid for help, but then he remembered why he had shut himself in here in the first place.

Actually, he didn't really know why. It felt like none of it made sense. Just two weeks ago he had been happier than he had ever been. He was married to the most wonderful woman in the world.

And now it had all turned to crap. It was like all they could do was fight over stupid things. Just this morning they had fought over whether bread should be buttered on both sides. Astrid had expressed surprise that he smeared both sides with big sweeps. He had made a joke in reply, thinking she was kidding, but then it somehow devolved into an argument about wasting valuable food and how he didn't know how expensive butter is.

Hiccup wasn't proud of the way he handled it: by running away into his workshop and slamming the door. A few seconds later the back door slammed as well, Astrid probably going outside for axe throwing.

Maybe this wouldn't all be for nothing if he could just work. This invention would help all the farmers on Berk, it was more important than this one stupid argument. He just had to find the damn sketch among all the other plates of copper by feeling them one by one.

His fingers ran over drawings of mills and saddles, houses and ships, but then he suddenly found a sketch of a clawhammer. The moment he realized what it was he froze. The copper fell to the floor with a loud bang.

Hiccup's hands shook as he picked it back up. This was the first thing he and Astrid designed together. Just two weeks after he woke up without his leg. They developed their routine as they worked on this simple tool. His throat filled up, and he suddenly wished they could go back to that simpler time.

Where had it all gone wrong? Back then they didn't fight like this! They worked together as easy as breathing.

His free hand balled into a fist as he tried to stay strong. Why did he have to be so useless?! Normally when something was broken Astrid and him would work together to fix it, but this… This was something broken between them.

He wished he could ask somebody. Gobber, his dad, Toothless, Cami. But no, he was stuck inside this damn house for another two weeks, alone with his thoughts and the love of his life he could only make love or fight with.

Gods, his entire mind was messed up from it all. Their intimacy had only made things more complicated, making them closer than ever even as they had arguments over mundane things.

A soft sob escaped his throat despite his best efforts. More followed. Just as he tried to get it back under control there was a knock on the door. It was a gentle knock, not like Astrid's usual angry knocks.

"Hiccup? Can we talk?" Astrid's voice called through the door, soft and vulnerable. In his surprise he sniffed loudly, and he instantly knew Astrid could tell he was crying.

"Hic… I'm not angry. Not anymore, and I just… I hate this situation. I hate that we're fighting so much and I want to make it right. And I suspect you hate it just as much. So can I come in? Or do you want to come out?"

Another sob wrenched itself from his throat despite his best efforts. Oh gods, what a mess. What would Astrid think of him? But still… he trusted her. Despite the tension of the past few weeks he knew she would never laugh at him. So he stumbled to the door on unsteady legs, copper plate still in his hand. His fingers trembled as he unlocked the latch.

The door slowly swung open, the creaking the only sound apart from the soft sniffs he tried to suppress.

Hiccup didn't know what to say or do, waiting for Astrid to enter the dark room and give him clarity.

"We've both been complete idiots."

Out of all the things he imagined her saying, that was not something he had expected. His very eloquent response was "Uh-huh."

"Look, I've did a lot of thinking and… and I realized that neither of us were prepared for this change. Living together, having to figure out how to divide chores and share a house and be together literally all the time. But that doesn't mean we can't figure this out now. We're adults, we're married, we can talk about this, right? So… can we? Calmly, without getting angry?" she softly asked, voice so fragile it broke Hiccup's heart too.

"I… I want nothing more. But I don't know how," he managed to say, sitting down in his chair.

"Well, how a conversation works is that I say something, and then you say something, and then I say something again-" she deadpanned.

"Haha, very funny," he said, genuinely chuckling. Gods, it felt good to laugh with her again.

"Seriously though. Can we try, at least? How about this morning? Can we please just talk about what went wrong during that stupid fight?" Astrid slowly said, hopping on the workbench next to him.

"Okay. Alright. I'll try. I guess for me it just went so fast. At first I thought you were just joking, teasing. But then two sentences later we were shouting at each other and slamming doors and I don't understand how that happened so fast," he explained, turning away a bit.

"Thing is, I wasn't joking. And when you acted like I was it felt like you weren't taking me seriously. You know money is not an easy topic for me. I shouldn't have shouted, though. And I'm sorry I did. I should have just explained that," Astrid said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm… I suppose that makes sense. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have run away. I just… I feel like I'm suffocating lately. And that's not you, I love you so much and I want to be with you, but I miss blacksmithing and Toothless and going to the cove and flying and so much more. And it feels like all I can do this month is design things in this workshop without my blacksmithing tools, and talk to you about dumb stuff. And that leads to arguments about dumb stuff. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just frustrated and have taken that out on you. You didn't deserve that," he slowly said, awkwardly moving his hand to grab hers, squeezing softly.

"No, I didn't, and you didn't deserve my anger either. Maybe I was also scared, scared that we got married too quickly, that we aren't ready for this yet. But as long as we can just talk about it later, before it starts to fester, we should be alright."

Hiccup nodded, squeezing her hand again. They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Oddly, it was like this was the most intimate thing they had done so far, despite all the lovemaking that had happened before.

"Was that the entire conversation? Is everything out now?" Astrid suddenly asked.

"You know, I think it was," he said, awed at how much lighter he felt. There were a few seconds of silence, and then he had to scream his thoughts: "That was so easy!"

"We are so stupid!" Astrid shouted, before doubling over with laughter. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh as well, before gently pulling her off the workbench and onto his lap so he could hug her.

"Oh, you're amazing. Let's never be this ridiculous again. Next time we talk calmly about things, okay?" he asked, sensing her nod.

"Yes, let's try that. But you know, Hiccup, there's something good that comes from dumb fights…" Astrid said, her tone teasing. He frowned, unsure of what she meant.

"We get to have make-up sex," she chuckled, grinding on his lap, and he moaned softly. Oh gods. Hiccup was sure that next time they fought things wouldn't spiral out of control anymore. He just had to survive Astrid's endless stamina.


	25. Gazing Into Each Other's Eyes

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while since the last update! Just days left. I can't believe it's almost over!** **Still, reviews are always appreciated, and they really help! Thanks for reading!**

 **Hiccup and Astrid are about 36 in this one. Thora and Claybones are 16 and 14 respectively.**

* * *

"You know, Hiccup. I think Thora might have an eye on that DunBroch boy," Astrid told her husband. He dropped his fork, and it loudly clattered on his plate, making some of the council look up from their food and at them.

"Wh-what makes you think that?" he asked, awkwardly feeling for his fork. Unfortunately, the handle had fallen into the gravy, making him grimace when he felt the goop on his fingers.

"Oh, just that she has barely stopped looking at him. And she's laughing at every joke he makes," Astrid said, looking away from her husband licking the gravy from his fingers to look at the other high table, where their children sat with the emissaries from Scotland. Thora was positively glowing, eyes wide as she looked at the red-headed boy. Every time he turned in her direction she looked away, though Astrid could tell from the little smile on his lips that he wasn't completely blind.

She almost chuckled at the thought that unlike her husband, this cheeky boy wasn't oblivious to flirting.

"Oh. I see. I, uhm… I guess they'd be a good match. He's the brother of the queen of DunBroch, so that would come with a powerful alliance. And he's… not the oldest brother, I think? They're triplets, right? That complicates things. Well, either way, I'm sure that if something were to happen to Queen Merida one of his brothers would step forward to take the throne. So he could live here when Thora becomes chief without having to worry about ruling Scotland," Hiccup slowly said. Astrid knew that tone. It was his analytical mind taking over, repressing his emotions. He might be correct, but this wasn't everything he felt.

"Surely there's more to it than politics, Hiccup. Come on, tell me what you're really thinking," she said, putting her hand on his. It made him smile.

"I… I hadn't realized that she was already at that age. I'm not gonna be like… Snotlout and not realize that my daughter is gonna grow up and make choices for herself. She should, I won't stand in her way, I don't want to be overprotective. I just… forgot she's already 16," he whispered, turning away a little and playing with his fork.

"It all went so fast, didn't it," she said, before turning back to her food. She sensed Hiccup didn't want to talk about it in public, so she gave him some space. Every other bite she glanced at the other table, where the lovebirds were now talking. Astrid couldn't help but notice her daughter had barely touched her food, a sure sign she was excited and full of energy.

Thankfully Kirsten had talked to both Thora and her brother extensively about intimacy, so Astrid didn't expect any rash decisions or irreversible mistakes to happen quickly, but it was interesting to see the two teenagers bond so much just through looks.

Some part of her felt jealous. Although she and Hiccup were as close as they could be, being able to look into each other's eyes was something they had never been able to do, and would never be able to do in the future, barring an absolute miracle.

But she suppressed that jealousy. There was no point in dwelling on things that couldn't be.

Hiccup was distant throughout the rest of the banquet, and she could tell his mind was also dwelling on young love.

* * *

Hiccup was tired when he walked through the door of their little house. Despite being the chief for over a decade now he hadn't moved into his father's house. It hadn't been designed with his disabilities in mind, so at the end of a long day like this, when his leg ached and his face itched, he was glad he didn't have to climb long stairs or stumble around bulky furniture.

Today the pain was deeper than his leg or face, however. Gods, he couldn't stop thinking about what Astrid had said about their daughter. He hadn't even been able to focus on the trade agreement with DunBroch, instead delaying the talks until tomorrow. Hopefully, a good night's sleep would clear his mind.

It wasn't even that he hated the thought of his little girl growing up. Of course, some part of him would always think of her as his little girl, but he knew and accepted she'd fall in love and marry and probably have babies herself.

What bothered him was that he hadn't been able to see any of it. Hiccup remembered a day almost 15 years ago when Thora was learning to walk. It was agony, knowing she was right there, inches away from his outstretched fingers, and he couldn't reach out to her. She had to make the move, she had to walk towards him on her own.

It was only through Astrid's gasps and words of encouragement that he could even know his baby was taking her first steps. Hiccup had briefly wondered if this was the gods toying with him again, giving him this wonderful child and yet making sure he couldn't see any of her achievements.

"Alright, I know that face. Something's bothering you. Out with it," Astrid said as he sat down with a heavy sigh. She walked around, lighting the fireplace and grabbing a mug to make tea.

"Just… thinking about how quickly our children grew up. I feel like I just… I missed everything. I couldn't see any of what they're doing, what they're making, building, accomplishing," he whispered, reaching his hand out to the papers pinned on the wall next to him. Drawings made by Thora and Claybones when they were younger. Thora had stopped drawing a while ago, but Claybones had found a purpose in art, drawing and painting for hours at a time. Opposite his chair, on the wall above the fireplace, hung one of his latest paintings. Berk from the sky, apparently. It could be blank and Hiccup wouldn't know.

"Oh, babe. You know you still did amazing. And they talk to you! That's more than Snotlout is managing with his kid apparently," Astrid said, putting the kettle on for tea.

"I don't know, it doesn't feel like that. It feels like Clay just hangs out with Kirsten all day, not with me. He really lost interest in inventing and engineering lately. And Thora… She talks more easily with you and with my mom. I can't relate to her athletic stuff," he slowly said, frowning as Astrid sat down next to him. She took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Sure, they might not be able to talk to you about their hobbies, but when it matters, when it's important things they're struggling with, you know who they go to? Not their grandmothers, not their friends. It's you, their father. Do you know how rare that is for teenagers? Maybe you not being able to see them makes it easier for them to open up, show you their secrets," Astrid whispered, before kissing his cheek.

"I guess you're right. I just… I wish I could see Clay's paintings. I wish I could watch Thora win all those Thawfest competitions. And… I wish I could see them fall in love," he eventually said. A moment later the door opened with a loud creak, and Hiccup recognized the squeaking of his son's wheelchair.

"Uuuuuugh, I wish I could _unsee_ it. Believe me, Dad, it's not worth it. I had to watch her and Hamish make googly eyes at each other all day! This is worse than when she had her crush on Ingrid Lodbrok! Or how Leifnir and Rufflout kept looking at each other after sleeping together that after Gand's birthday party!" Claybones ranted as he wheeled himself into the house.

"What are you talking about? Ingrid? Thora liked Ingrid? And what is this about Leifnir and Rufflout sleeping together?!" Astrid said angrily, standing up, and Hiccup could hear his son's sharp inhale.

"Wait, that wasn't actually common knowledge? I thought it was obvious, given how they interact, you'd have to be blind not to- Uh, sorry Dad didn't mean it like that. I mean, how can you miss it? And all the other stuff that's going on around Berk. Like today, I can't even look away from Thora and her new Scottish love without seeing old man Sven still trying to woo Mrs. Anderson, and obviously the Hokkersdotters are going through a rough patch, Mr. Hokkersdotter was buying jewelry, always indicates marital problems. I'm pretty sure his wife is cheating, just not sure with who. Either Trader Hansen or that emissary from the Meatheads. Maybe both," Clay said, clearly letting out some frustration. Hiccup laughed nervously.

"Look son, it's… impressive that you can notice all of that, it's just that most people don't. So you shouldn't assume everyone knows all the secrets you figure out with a glance," he slowly said, head still spinning from all these revelations.

"I know that! I'm the only one who understands how people work, apparently! Gods, it's the worst! Nobody understands my pain! Least of all Thora, she didn't even notice Hamish quickly hiding his red handkerchief in his back pocket when he saw she was interested in him. My guess is it's a gift from another girl. But can I tell her that? Can I be a good brother and warn her that her new crush is a womanizer? Noooooo, because that's 'gossiping' and 'spreading rumors'," Clay ranted, wheeling himself through the living room to the back where his bedroom was.

"Just go to bed. I think you drank too much, you're a little too angry, Clay. And don't ruin this for your sister," Astrid said sharply, making Clay groan.

" _Fiiiine_. I'm going, I'm going. And I won't tell her. She'll figure it out by herself. Eventually. The hard way. And that's when I can warn her about everything the next boy is doing. Or girl. She swings both ways," he said, maneuvering his chair around so he could open the door to his bedroom.

"That's quite enough. We'll talk about this in the morning. I know you mean well, but you're not thinking clearly right now," Hiccup said, turning so he faced his son, even if he couldn't see him.

The only response was a slammed door.

"See? He's going through awful puberty but he's still completely honest with us," Astrid whispered, sitting down next to him again.

"A little too honest. Gods, I did not want to know about the Hokkersdotters. Or Snot's daughter and Leifnir. Do you think he's right about everything he said?" Hiccup said, covering his head with his hands.

"Probably. Drunk or not, Clay is good at reading people. Thor almighty, and to think I was bothered by Thora looking at other people. It's our son for whom the eyes are the window to the soul. I wonder if he figured out any of our secrets," Astrid chuckled. Hiccup tried not to think too much about that.

"Well, at least my face is hard to read, right?" he joked, grabbing Astrid's hand.

"Hah, you wish. You're an open book. You can't hide any emotions. If I can figure out what you think, so can he. And anyone else on Berk for that matter," Astrid laughed. He couldn't help but laugh with her.

They sat together for a while, hands intertwined, and Hiccup figured that even if they could actually look into each other's eyes, they wouldn't be any closer than they already were.


	26. Getting Married

**Hello readers! I'm back with another drabble, Getting Married. Since Hiccstrid's wedding day was covered extensively in Blind Spots, I decided to add a little spin to it. I hope you like it!**

* * *

"Dad? Can I… Can I talk to you?"

Hiccup raised his head despite the fact that he didn't need to 'look' at his son. This was unusual. Clay had a quiet and reserved personality, sure, but it had been years since he had been this nervous about anything. The boy had a combative streak to counter any thoughts others might have about calling him weak.

So sensing his son so agitated, even across the room, made Hiccup frown.

"Of course. You can talk to me about anything, you know that."

Claybones' wheelchair squeaked softly as he pushed himself into the room, placing himself on the other side of the dining table Hiccup had been working at. The wheelchair was something Hiccup had worked on for dozens of hours back when Clay was 13 and it was becoming clear he wouldn't be able to walk all the time anymore.

When he first saw it the boy had been furious, screaming at him and Astrid, accusing them of not loving him, that they just wanted him gone. He'd screamed they were just putting him in a position where he wouldn't be able to do anything. It had been hard, but a few days later Clay came out of his room and apologized in the same hesitant tone he had now.

"There's… You remember how we went to Meathead Island two months ago? Me and Thora and Grandma Kirsten? When I was there I met this girl, and… I really really like her," Claybones slowly said, voice soft.

"And… you want to court her?" Hiccup was unsure why Clay was asking about this. As far as Hiccup knew he didn't have any experience being in a relationship himself, but the boy was a brilliant observer, learning all about other relationships and their secrets, what made them work and what broke them apart. So he just started saying whatever came to mind to reassure Clay he too could find love.

"Look, Son, it's great that you met someone you like, but remember you shouldn't try to go too fast. What does she even think of you? Hell, I thought I was in love with your mother for years while she barely knew who I was. It was only later, after I met Toothless, and… the accident happened, that we really got to know each other and truly fell in love. So maybe try talking to her first, figure out if she likes you back-"

"She's pregnant."

Hiccup stopped breathing for a second, unsure of what his son was even saying. He was in love with a girl who was already with child and would surely marry the father?

"Son… I know it must be super painful, but it's not good to chase after a woman who is already with someone else. It's unlikely she'd leave the other man for some stranger-"

"What are you talking about?!" Claybones shouted.

"What are _you_ talking…" Hiccup started when it suddenly clicked. "Are _you_ the father?" he asked, confusing clear in his voice.

"Yes, dammit! You don't have to sound so… surprised about the very possibility! I-I-I still have the… the equipment, the capability of being with a woman, you know! Girls can still be attracted to me even though I'm in this fucking chair!" Claybones screamed, slamming his hands down on the arms of the wheelchair. Hiccup was sure he had been close to breaking bones with that move. Hiccup could sense his boy was about to jump up, try to walk, before calming himself.

"Sorry. This isn't easy, okay, and your tone is not helping. You're the one who always said I shouldn't feel limited just because I'm in a wheelchair," he continued, voice softer now.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. Of course you're not… repulsive or incapable of being with someone! I just… This is big news. You understand that, right? I just wanted to make sure I understood correctly," Hiccup said, still trying to process this news. Oh gods, this was bad. Clay was only 17, and who knew how old this girl was? Thor Almighty, how was he going to tell Astrid that their son would have a child? Wait, this means he is going to be a grandfather! He didn't expect that to happen for a long time yet.

"Yes, she's pregnant with my child. She sent me a terror mail two days ago to tell me." Clay's voice was calm, almost detached. A sharp contrast to his outburst just moments ago.

"And she's sure it's yours? How did you even…" Hiccup started, unable to process.

"Yes, it's mine. There's no other guy or anything! We love each other!" Clay said, fire coming back to his voice.

"Are you sure you do? Because you were on Meathead Island for what? Four days? How long did you even know each other before you jumped into bed together?!" Hiccup said, rubbing his face in a hopeless attempt to stop his budding headache.

"We just clicked! I met her on our first evening there, at the welcoming feast. We talked for hours, and then… things just happened. And then we spent the entire four days and nights together," Clay said. Hiccup didn't know what to say. He just sighed and shook his head.

"Come on, Dad, don't give me the silent treatment. That's what Mom does. This is… This is why I went to you, not her! Because… Because you don't get mad. So please don't be mad," his son said desperately, and Hiccup could hear the fear in the words.

Behind his combative facade, Clay was terrified.

"I'm not mad. Not… Not really. I'm just… deeply disappointed in you. You're smart. Like, genuinely genius-smart. And you know all about relationships and secrets and what people do and feel. I know Kirsten explained everything about intimacy as well. So… you should have known better. Look, I get how exciting it can be to find that connection, but I expected you to be more responsible than this. This will impact your entire life. And hers, too! And the rest of us too. How do you think it reflects on Thora if her brother has a bastard child? Not to mention the child itself! Caring for a baby isn't easy. That's a lifetime commitment," Hiccup slowly said.

"You and Mom were my age when you got married!" Clay said heatedly. For a second Hiccup thought he heard a sniff in there.

"And we had been together for three years. And apart from that… Your mother and I went through hell together, okay. We had seen the absolute best _and_ the absolute worst of each other before we got married or even had physical intimacy. And we still had troubles and fights and hard times. It took two years of trying before we made Thora. And even then we weren't really ready to raise a child. Maybe no one ever is. So forgive me for being a little skeptical about your declaration of love for someone you've known for less than a week," Hiccup said clearly. The words came out harsher than he intended, but Clay didn't respond with anger like he expected.

A loud sniff suddenly broke the tense silence, and it became clear Claybones was crying. Hiccup slowly stood up and walked around the table. When he was next to the wheelchair he kneeled in front of his son, before reaching out his arms. It took a few seconds, but then the boy produced a loud sob while flinging himself into his father's arms.

"I know I messed up. I-I-I know I always complain about what stupid shit other people do in their relationships, and now I went and made the exact same mistakes. I just… I didn't see it coming. She was there and she… she listened to me. She is so beautiful and smart and she understood me, the real me. The other teens here on Berk, they never bother taking me seriously, but she… She didn't care that I can't walk, that I can barely move. She likes my art, and my ideas, and she makes me laugh too. She writes stories. Poetry. Beautiful poetry. She wrote a poem right there about how grumpy I was. And… And I just never felt so close to another person before," Claybones managed to say between sobs, his tears wetting Hiccup's shirt.

"What is her name?" he simply asked, knowing his son needed to let all of this out.

"Lucy. Her name is Lucy Henriksdotter. Her father is a wool merchant. He's quite wealthy. People won't be able to say I'm gonna marry below my station," Clay whispered, shaking in Hiccup's arms.

"So that's what you want to do? Marry her? Is that we she wants as well? Did she say in that letter?" he asked, holding his son a little tighter while being careful not to break any bones.

"She does. She said… We have to do it quickly. Her father will denounce her otherwise. If we marry this month we can still pretend…" the boy's voice trailed off. Hiccup sighed.

"You know people will _know_ , right? They won't say it out loud, but they'll whisper it. They'll know what you and Lucy did, especially when that baby arrives just six months after the wedding," Hiccup said. His son's blonde hair tickled his neck when he nodded.

"Of course I know that. I get how rumors spread, probably better than anyone else on this island," he said heatedly.

"There's a difference between knowing it and experiencing it. Look son, I know you haven't had it easy, with your wheelchair and all, but this won't just be about you. People will whisper about her as well. Will you be prepared to defend your _wife_? _Your bastard child_?" Hiccup hated causing the shiver that ran through his son, but he knew the boy needed to understand this as soon as possible.

"I… I'll do my best. I love her. I do," Clay said, another sniff escaping.

"I hope you do, son. I really hope you do," Hiccup whispered, wondering how he was going to tell Astrid.

* * *

As she looked at the dark clouds overhead, Astrid remembered her own wedding day. It had been storming then as well.

Hopefully the marriage would be brighter.

"Are you ready? It's almost time," Hiccup asked their son, who looked like he was about to throw up.

"I… I think so. I don't like being the center of attention like this," he mumbled, looking at his feet.

"Well, you got lucky there because we had to organize this so quickly. Not many people could show up. Camicazi couldn't make it, for example. Thora is not happy about that," Astrid said, taking one last look at the fast-moving clouds before turning to her child.

"Thora isn't happy about any of this. She hasn't talked to me at all since… Since she heard," Clay said, fidgeting with his fancy shirt. He was wobbly on his feet.

"She'll come around. I think she is just annoyed by your hypocrisy. You did constantly analyze and belittle all her suitors, and then this happens. But I'm sure that in less than a month she'll miss her little brother and your exploration trips, and apologize," Hiccup said.

Clay's dragon, Thinker, gently steadied his human as he found his balance. It had been years since the boy had been on his feet this long. But he had insisted on walking by himself during the ceremony.

"I know. I told her I'm sorry! I just… I hope she and Lucy can get along," he said, sneaking a glance at the other side of the square, where his bride was waiting with her father.

Her very, very, very angry father who only agreed to the marriage after the hefty bride price they offered. Before that he had been ready to denounce his daughter and deny her her inheritance for getting pregnant out of wedlock.

Hiccup would have taken her in, had her marry Clay and made her part of the Haddock family anyway if that had happened, but at least this way the girl would still have contact with her siblings and get her mother's tools and clothes.

"I'm sure they will. Now then, it's time. You have the ring and your sword?" Hiccup asked anxiously. Clay tapped his fingers over the sword on his belt audibly, and his father nodded.

"Well then, no time like the present. You don't want to be caught out in the rain. That happened to us on our wedding day, and it was not pleasant. Your father even broke his prosthetic while taking a mud bath!" Astrid said, brushing Clay's long hair behind his ears, and her eyes teared up a bit.

Her son, so young and so grown up at the same time. Did he really have to get married already?

It was strange. A month ago she hadn't even considered her youngest child being in a relationship, let alone fathering a child. Thora had always been the more obvious candidate, with her outgoing nature and many suitors hoping to wed the future chief of Berk. Clay had always stayed in the shadows, content with observing and capturing other people in his paintings.

She didn't think he'd even had friends before he met Lucy. He had always been so… different from all the other kids, both his brains and his bones. And now he was going to be a father.

"Don't remind me of our wedding day. It was… not as I had hoped it would be," Hiccup said, following Clay as the boy walked on unsteady legs. Thinker was right next to him, providing his human with something to lean on when he stumbled.

Astrid moved to the rows of chairs and sat down next to her daughter, who was sitting next to Kirsten. Kirsten looked like she was about to cry, while Thora refused to look at the proceedings, instead staring at her hands in her lap.

"Oh, I remember when you and he were just babies. You grow up too quickly for an old woman like me!" Kirsten said between sniffs, leaning towards Thora. The girl just ducked her head further.

"Doesn't seem like he grew up much if he let this happen," she muttered, making Astrid sigh.

"You know he's sorry, and that he will do everything he can to make it right. So just… try to support him? He needs his big sister, no matter how much he pretends not to. He has always helped you when you messed up," she said, patting her daughter's shoulder. Thora slowly nodded.

"I'll try," she whispered as Clay started saying his vows. Astrid couldn't help but frown. He was clearly nervous, and the bride's father looked at him with barely hidden disgust. Would this marriage fall apart within a year? Had she and Hiccup gone wrong with how they raised their son?

But then her eyes drifted to Hiccup standing nearby. He looked so proud of his son, so sure that this would all work out. And she felt a smile appear on her own face as well. Of course it would be fine. The young couple would have all the support they could ever need, from her entire family.

So even though Astrid wasn't really sure if she was ready to be grandmother yet, it took just one look at Hiccup to know she wouldn't face it alone, just like Clay wouldn't be facing this new stage of life alone.


	27. On One Of Their Birthdays

**Hello everyone, I'm back with another chapter. Only 3 more to go! I hope you like it!**

* * *

Astrid woke very slowly, a sunbeam from the skylight making her blink. It must be nearly midday then.

When Hiccup had suggested retirement from being chief, she had been against it. They had done it for nearly four decades, surely they were the most capable people on Berk to keep leading the town. But eventually, he had convinced her that Thora was more than ready to take over. She had been doing more and more chiefly duties already over the past few years, so in some ways her becoming full chief was just a formality.

Some days she still missed leading. It was exhilarating, having people listen to her commands and seeing them prosper under her leadership.

But on days like this, when she could just sleep for as long as she wanted with no boring ceremonies or meetings to attend, she was grateful Hiccup had retired. They had given it their all for so long, they deserved to relax in their old age.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Hiccup said as she groaned and stretched, making her squint against the bright light to see him already up and dressed. Next to him, on the wall of their bedroom, was an old painting of them right after they were married.

Although his hair had turned grey and he had to lean heavily on his walking stick, he still looked as handsome to her as he did forty years ago.

"You're up early. Normally you sleep well past noon," she said, getting up and smoothing out her nightshirt.

"Well, it's a special occasion. I had to make sure everything is ready!" he chuckled, walking over and kissing her with no hesitation, despite her morning breath.

"Wait, what occasion?" she asked, grabbing some clothes and a bar of soap for her morning bath.

"You forgot? It's your birthday! Happy sixtieth birthday, my love!" Hiccup said, squeezing her arm and nearly making her drop her clothes. Freya, sixty already?

"Oh. Oh, right. I, uhm… I forgot, yeah. Let me just take a quick bath first, okay? I'm all sweaty after last night," Astrid said, making him chuckle when he remembered their intense lovemaking. Despite his weaker leg, he was still as passionate as he had been when they were teenagers.

"Sure, take your time," Hiccup said as she walked past him and through the back door to the hot spring. With a happy sigh she dipped into the pool, allowing herself to relax for a minute before grabbing the soap.

Astrid had never really cared that much about her age. Numbers were more Hiccup's thing anyway, and the years blurred together after so long. And yet, sixty felt like a new milestone. She was Old now.

Of course, she had been Old for quite a while now, she thought as she washed hair that had turned white a decade ago. She had been a grandmother for decades now, and her oldest grandchild, Starla, might be having children of her own soon. Astrid wasn't sure whether she was in a relationship. After Lucy and Clay divorced amicably when little Starla was 15, Starla moved back to Meathead island with her mother, and news traveled slowly from there.

And even if they could communicate instantly, Astrid doubted an 18-year old would want to gush over her latest crush with her old granny.

Gods, she was old. That meant Hiccup was Old as well. He was a year older than her, and yet she couldn't really think of him as Old. Her mother was someone who was undoubtedly Old at 76, although she was still sharp of mind and traveled all over the archipelago.

Astrid felt dread as she dried off and put on clean clothes. Growing old meant death, and she hadn't really considered that before. That she and Hiccup could be nearing the end of their lives.

No, this was too morbid to think about. Hiccup had prepared all kinds of nice things for her birthday, and she was not going to ruin it. She and everyone she loved were perfectly healthy.

So she straightened her back and forced herself to take strong strides as she walked back inside, where a nice smell greeted her.

"What smells so good? Did you manage to bake a cake by your-"

"SURPRISE!" a chorus of voices shouted, nearly making her fall over. When she recovered she realized the living room was full of family and friends: The other riders, her children, her mother, Thora's kids, and of course Hiccup in the center, holding a huge cake she suspected he didn't actually bake.

"Oh gods, that's a surprise alright. I hope I didn't keep you waiting," Astrid managed to say before the wave of individual greetings, congratulations, and other conversations started.

After spending a bit of time playing with her youngest grandchild, 11-year old Kenneth, she finally managed to get a slice of cake and sit down.

"Are you okay? Sorry if it was too much. Thora insisted on organizing it, and you know how… enthusiastic she can get," Hiccup whispered as he sat down next to her. She smiled as she looked at Claybones talking to Kirsten about new stories coming from the far south about brave knights and how they differed from their Nordic ballads.

"It's alright. I would have liked something a little… quieter, but we'll have plenty of time for that tomorrow, I guess. Or even later today," she said, grabbing Hiccup's hand. Even after 45 years of doing that it still made her feel loved and connected to him.

The party lasted for a few hours longer, until the grandchildren grew bored and Hiccup clearly became tired. Kirsten was the first to notice his loss of concentration and began dropping hints for the guests to leave.

"Up too early preparing all this?" Astrid chuckled as the last guests left, and mentally prepared herself for the cleanup. So many mugs and plates to wash. But perhaps it could wait until tomorrow.

"No, it's fine-" Hiccup might have been more convincing if he hadn't had to yawn in the middle of his sentence, and he clearly realized it himself. "Let's just… prepare to rest. We'll go on a flight tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright, there's plenty of time. We deserve a break," she chuckled as Hiccup stood up and walked into his workshop.

"I didn't get the chance to give you this earlier, but… Happy birthday, Astrid," he said, grabbing something and presenting it to her.

It was a battleaxe, but not just any axe. The two steel blades were inlaid with detailed engravings, and the handle contained carved wood. Speechless, Astrid took the weapon and looked at them in more detail.

"It's all your victories over the years. Look, over here is when we captured Alvin. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's very accurate, I couldn't see what was going on, so I went on imagination. Here's Drago, laid low by your arrows and axe. And here, on the other side, your great charge in the Berserker War," he explained, making her chuckle.

"And what's this last one?" she asked, running her fingers over an engraving of… her in bed?

"That's… that's you giving birth. Your most painful battles where you fought the hardest. Even… Even the one you lost. I hope it's not too painful to remember, even over 30 years later," he slowly said, and Astrid's eyes became wet at the memory of that horrible stillbirth.

"It's… It's amazing, Hiccup. I'm glad you made this. Even this last engraving. I could never forget it anyway, but this way… it's easier," she whispered, now recognizing the little bundle the engraved woman was holding as a tiny baby.

"I'm still proud of you, you know? You fought so hard, you still fight so hard for us, for our family, even if we… can't win them all. I love you so much," he said, putting his arms around her. A tear rolled off her cheek and broke on the axe's blade.

"I love you too. There's no one I'd rather have spent all these decades with, no one I could have gone through all this with," she said, feeling more tears fall as she laid the axe in her lap and hugged Hiccup back.

"Happy birthday, Astrid. I hope we'll have many more together."


End file.
